Zambia Ready for COSAFA Cup Clash Against Comoros – Coach Nyirenda

Zambia national team coach Wedson Nyirenda has expressed confidence ahead of the team’s COSAFA Cup opener against Comoros on Friday, declaring his squad ready and mentally prepared for the task.

Speaking to FAZ Media from the team’s base in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Nyirenda confirmed that the Chipolopolo squad had arrived safely and in high spirits, with no injuries or illnesses reported.

“First and foremost, I think we want to thank God for the journey. We had a very good travel from Lusaka to Bloemfontein and everyone is okay. All the players are fit – we do not have any complaints,” said Nyirenda. “The mood is high, the morale is high, and every player looks set to do the work.”

Zambia will hold a final training session this afternoon to assess the players’ fitness, mental readiness, and overall wellness before the highly anticipated match.

“We are set for tomorrow. The team is very balanced, we have mature players and young, upcoming stars who are doing very well at their respective clubs. Thanks to their coaches, they’ve come here looking very strong mentally,” he added.

The coach also welcomed the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology during the tournament, describing it as a timely development that will benefit Zambian players.

“We’ve been craving this for a long time. VAR has come at the right time. Football has evolved – now it’s not only VAR, but GPS systems and other gadgets being used in the game. This is a good thing for our players, who will now get a full experience of it,” Nyirenda said.

Reflecting on the competitiveness of the tournament, Nyirenda dismissed the idea of easy matches, noting the surprise result in the opening game where hosts South Africa lost 1-0 to Mozambique.

“There’s no small draw, no small team, no friendly game. Every game in the group stage is tough. We saw it yesterday, South Africa played well but lost to Mozambique. That shows that everyone is at home here,” he observed. “If you are in a group, you just have to apply yourselves to what you’ve been taught.”

Zambia will face Comoros at 18:00 CAT on Friday in what promises to be a tightly contested match as both teams look to make a strong start to their COSAFA Cup campaign.