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Zambia face Tunisia in the two sides opening Group A fixture in Dakar
Zambia face Tunisia in the two sides opening Group A fixture in Dakar on Saturday evening at the 2015 Caf under-23 Cup in Senegal.
The game is a grudge match of sorts after their respective senior teams met earlier this year at the 2015 Africa Cup in a penultimate Group B fixture in Ebebyin, Equatorial Guinea on January 22.
Tunisia beat Zambia 2-1 on the formers way to the quarterfinals and the latter’s route out of the Africa Cup.
“I think in football there is no revenge,” Zambia Under-23 coach Fighton Simukonda said.
” We are almost ready for them and it is good they are treating us as underdogs.
“We want to collect the 3 points but a draw will be a plus but we are going for a win.”
Simukonda will have one major absentee heading into their opening game.
Midfielder Lubambo Musonda will only join the team on Monday after attending to a club commitment with his Armenian club Gandzasar on Sunday.
But the stage is also set for Lusaka Dynamos striker Conlyde Luchanga’s Under-23 debut after he made instant impact in his first senior Chipolopolo appearance with a goal on October 17 in a 3-0 home win over Mozambique in a 2016 CHAN qualifier.
Meanwhile, this will be Zambia and Tunisia’s second ever meeting in a competitive Under-23 game.
The two sides last meeting was at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algeria in a third and fourth playoff match that Tunisia won 1-0 to beat Zambia to the bronze medal.