Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Zambia captain Rainford Kalaba
Zambia captain Rainford Kalaba says failure to successfully defend the Cosafa Cup this month will be inexcusable.
Chipolopolo will travel to South Africa on May 24 to defend the regional title they won on home soil in 2013.
The four-time Cosafa Cup winners have been handed a bye and will enter the competition at the quarterfinal stage of the tournament that will run from May 17-31.
“Zambia is not small that is why we were exempted,” Kalaba said.
“We have to maintain our image. If we don’t qualify to the semi-finals it will be very bad. So we just have to maintain our image in the Southern region. Our target is to reach the finals and there we retain the title.”
Zambia will in the last eight of the Cosafa Cup face the winner from Group A that consists of Namibia, Seychelles, Mauritius and fellow four-time champions Zimbabwe.
Chipolopolo beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in the final two years ago to lift the title.
Kalaba has not been added to the Cosafa Cup team due to club obligations back at TP Mazembe but instead will be part of Zambia’s pre-tournament friendly match against Malawi to be played this Sunday at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.