The preselected members of the Zambian national football team, the Chipolopolos, have commenced their training sessions in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Avram Grant, the seasoned coach overseeing the preparations, shed light on the purpose behind the training camp, emphasizing the significance of enhancing physical fitness for players who may lack sufficient playing time at their respective clubs.
While supporters eagerly await the official announcement of the final 27-man squad for AFCON 2023, Avram Grant has initiated a meticulous training program in Lusaka, underscoring his commitment to ensuring that the selected players are in peak physical condition.
Grant, who previously managed Chelsea Blues, elucidated on the primary objectives of the training sessions, highlighting the importance of evaluating new players’ potential contributions and providing fitness regimens for those who have concluded their club seasons.
Grant articulated, “Training camp is about checking the new players if they can add something to our setup. Our team profile has players who don’t feature at their club, I don’t like that but that’s what we have. Our goal is to go to the AFCON at 100 percent.
This is part of our preparations. As you can see, we called more players than usual. We want to try and test as many players as possible. The players who will go to the AFCON will be those who prove that they can make a contribution to the team because we have a very difficult group.”*
Expressing optimism about Zambia’s preparedness, Grant emphasized the necessity of improvement and building on the progress made during the year. Looking ahead to the upcoming tournament, he stated, “Our goal is to improve; we have made a lot of progress this year, and we must continue on this path.
Firstly, we have no choice, we have no time. We will continue to prepare in Saudi Arabia. We will have more time to prepare. We will do everything we can.”
The strategic training camp in Lusaka reflects Grant’s meticulous approach to fostering a competitive and resilient Zambian team for AFCON 2023.
