Injury knocks out Isreal-based Ngoma from U20 AFCON cup

Under 20(U20) team doctor Aaron Munkondya says Israel based Richard ‘Kasuli’ Ngoma is out of the U20 AFCON after sustaining a shoulder injury during his side Maccabi Netanya’s U19 league match on Saturday.

According to a statement by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), Ngoma who had been named in Chisi Mbewe’s 21-man final squad was due to join the Zambian camp in Alexandria on Sunday could not make it after being withdrawn in the 62nd minute of his club’s match.

Munkondya stated that Ngoma joins Joseph Sabobo Banda on the list of absentees with the technical bench roping in Moses Mulenga as one of the replacements.

“With Richard it is very unfortunate that he is not going to be part of this tournament because he got injured whilst playing his last game before joining camp. The doctors in Israel are doing everything possible to make sure that he receives the best treatment,” Munkondya said.

With the absence of Ngoma,FAZ reports that Spain based Peter Chikola will be the only foreign based player in the Zambian squad.

FAZ said the inclusion of foreign based players had been complicated by the U20 AFCON being played outside the FIFA window which did not oblige clubs to release players for the competition.

Zambia starts its AFCON journey on Tuesday with a match against Benin which kicks off at 19:00 hours Zambian time, adding that this would be broadcast on SuperSport.

The next Group C match will be on Friday against The Gambia before facing Tunisia on February 27 in Cairo.

FAZ said top two teams will qualify to the quarterfinals while the bigger task will be a semi-final berth that guarantees qualification to the FIFA World Cup in Indonesia.

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