Makinka: No Room for Complacency as Zambia U17 Face New Caledonia

Zambia Under-17 national team head coach Dennis Makinka says his side will approach their next friendly match against New Caledonia with full focus and respect, warning against complacency following their impressive 3-1 victory over Mexico on Monday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Junior Chipolopolo will face New Caledonia this afternoon at 16:00 CAT at the Police Shooting Club Stadium, as preparations intensify for the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup set for Qatar next month.

Speaking after the team’s final training session, Makinka said the technical bench was working on refining tactical details, particularly in defensive organization and ball movement.

“We are still trying to work on our defensive organization and ball movement. Against Mexico, we didn’t move the ball as quickly as we wanted, so today we focused on correcting that — especially our transitions from defense to attack,” he explained.

Makinka revealed that while he may make slight adjustments depending on player fitness, the overall focus remains on building team chemistry and readiness.

“We are working on the starting lineup, but any changes will depend on how the players recover from minor knocks. The improvement has been massive since the friendlies back home, and I’m excited by the progress. The boys are responding well to what we’ve been emphasizing,” he added.

Asked whether he was confident against New Caledonia, Makinka stressed that Zambia would not underrate any opponent.

“That’s the biggest mistake you can make. Football is football — same rules, same goals, whether it’s a big or small team. We will not underrate them; we’ll focus on our game and continue improving,” he said.

The match will be Zambia’s final test before the technical team finalizes its squad and tactical approach for the FIFA U17 World Cup, where the Junior Chipolopolo will take on Indonesia, Honduras and Brazil.