Sipho Mumbi backs Zambia to recover against Egypt in U-20 AFCON

Photo Credit - Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).

Zambia U-20 assistant coach Sipho Mumbi is confident that his team will bounce back in their next U-20 AFCON group match against hosts Egypt on Saturday.

The Young Chipolopolo led by head coach Boyd Mulwanda, will be hoping to make amends after their frustrating 0-0 draw against debutantes Sierra Leone in their Group A opener at the Suez Canal Stadium on Sunday.

“So far so good. The boys are positive, the energy is good, we are just looking forward to the next game against Egypt. Fitness-wise, the only injury concern we have is Joseph Banda, who suffered a knock from our previous game against Sierra Leone, but the rest of the boys, they are good to go,” a confident Mumbi told FAZ Media ahead of the Egypt game.

“I believe we will bounce back against Egypt after the draw against Sierra Leone, which as a technical bench we believe we should have won, but we only managed to take a point.

“We need to prepare adequately against Egypt, they are the hosts and I am sure the support is going to be behind them, but we have to psych up the boys to be ready for that eleventh player on their side and we will try by all means to be psychologically ready for the game.”

If Zambia is under pressure heading into the fixture, Mumbi said: “Yes, pressure is always there, but you need to manage it regardless of the situation. I think the team know by now what is at stake, we just have to go there with a mentality to get maximum points.

“It is a message that we have been telling [the players]. It is not going to be easy, every team here wants to qualify for the World Cup, so it won’t be an easy one against Egypt, and we just have to focus on us, and not on them.

“We will have to use our strength to get the maximum points. We also must try to be as clinical as we can in front of the goal. It is something which denied us a win in the opener, so we have talked to the boys about the same thing.

“We have to be a little bit patient, and going forward, I think the boys know that. They were disappointed actually. We couldn’t bury most of the chances that came our away, but I believe that going forward, the boys will make amends and try to do much better.”

In the other Group A opening match, hosts Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 to go top of the table, while Zambia and Sierra Leone each have a point. Tanzania are bottom of the table, having not played a match yet.