Joash Onyango eager to face Simba teammate in international friendly
Kenyan international Joash Onyango is looking forward to battle with his Simba SC teammate Cleotus Chama when Harambee Stars hosts Zambia in an international friendly at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Onyango, 27, was included in the 32-man Harambee Stars provisional squad that reports to camp this weekend in preparation for the game while Chama is among the 13-foreign based players called to the Zambian squad.
“It will be a privilege to face Chama as an opponent when we play in Nairobi. I expect a very tough but good game,” Onyango told the club’s official portal.
Onyango moved to the reigning Tanzanian Premier League (TPL) side in August this year.
Zambia head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević earlier in the week called up 40-local players into camp but is set to trim the squad to around 20 players by the end of the week.
Micho also hinted that he would field a squad largely made up of local players in the match against Kenya.
AFCON CAMPAIGN
The team will first face Malawi on October 7 before traveling to Nairobi to face Harambee Stars at the Nyayo National Stadium on October 10. After that, the team will travel to South Africa to face Bafana Bafana and an unnamed Premier Soccer League (PSL) side.
“In the first two matches against Malawi and Kenya, we want to see the best of the best of ours so that we see where we are, how we are, and which direction to go,” Micho said in a press conference early this week.
“And with the squad that will go to Kenya and South Africa, whoever will not be able to play against Bafana Bafana, we are looking for a high-profile international friendly against one of the top three South African clubs; Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns so that everyone is tested,” he added.
Zambia is preparing to face Botswana in a rescheduled 2021 AFCON Group H qualifier home and away on November 9 and 17.
After two rounds of matches played in Group H, Chipolopolo is bottom of their group with no point. Algeria tops the group with 6 points ahead of Zimbabwe who have 4 points. Botswana lies third with a point.