Don’t be afraid of Eagles, coach charges Chipolopolo •Minister gives them pep talk

COACH Wedson Nyirenda has stated that the Chipolopolo are not afraid of the Super Eagles, majority of who are based in Europe.

Speaking ahead of today’s World Cup qualifier between his country Zambia and Nigeria, Nyirenda said the Chipolopolo, from a fairly large number of locals and foreign-based players, would overrun Nigeria.

“I think that composition of the team would even be an advantage to us because it motivates the players before they play the game. I know Chipolopolo; when you think they have gone low, that’s when they come up and when you look at the way we are preparing, we look set and we are aiming high,” The Post newspaper of Zambia on Saturday quoted Nyirenda as saying.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s minister of youth and sports was at the stadium on Saturday morning to give pep talk to the Zambian players ahead of today’s match.

The minister, Moses Mawere, in company with the president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), Andrew Kamanga, had watched the players’ training after which he addressed them.

The Zambia-Nigeria World Cup qualifying fixture — the first of such between both countries at the senior level — will kick off today at 2.30pm Zambia time (1.30pm Nigeria time.