GOALKEEPER Toaster Nsabata has said players are still committed to delivering an Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) berth in the next edition following years of failure.
Zambia has consistently missed from Africa’s premier international football competition having failed to qualify for the last three games.
In delivering one of his weekly messages, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga said the team has to make it for the 2023 edition.
“We have no doubt that the next coach will be able to meet our expectations that will have the Ivory Coast 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification as a key benchmark,” Kamanga stated two weeks ago.
Nsabata said in an interview from his base in South Africa yesterday that failure to make it to the AfCON weighs down heavily on the players and they are ready to change the narrative.
“The assurance I can give to the fans is that yes we have gone three years [times] without qualifying to the Africa Cup, [but] we are asking them to have confidence in us.
“We have to come back in 2023, I believe we have a good squad, there is a good blend of local players and foreign-based players that is the assurance I can give,” Nsabata said.
Nsabata said that in 2022, he hopes to work hard so that he can cement a place as the national team’s first choice, something that has eluded him in the past.
He said previous coaches have had a hard time coming up with a substantive first-choice goalkeeper and he wants to make their job easier by working hard.
“I am also working hard so that we may have a strong national team for mother Zambia. It has been very difficult for the coaches we have had at the national team to look for a first choice.
“I am working hard so that coaches no longer have that headache, I don’t want them to doubt me so I have to work hard,” he said.
Nsabata echoed former interim coach Beston Chambeshi’s sentiments that Zambia has a good team able to compete favourably in the 2023 qualifiers.
“The team is there, we have a sharp frontline and a solid midfield that can perform so I think we just have to work on the back four, I want to work hard as a keeper as well, I will not sleep [this year],” he said.
On the club level, Nsabata said he is determined to help his team Sekhukhune United to a better finish.
“My personal target for 2022 is to work hard and fight for a better finish on the table for my team. You know that we are a newly promoted team so everyone is looking to see how we will finish.
“We are doing fairly well, we are in a good position and everyone is looking at us, we have to work hard for a decent finish that can be good for us,” he said.
Sekhukhune are eighth on the log in the DSTV Premier Soccer League with 25 points just one behind the continental qualifying places.
Nsabata has been in good form for his team since joining them from Zesco United winning a couple of man-of-the-match awards along the way.
In 14 matches for the club, Nsabata has managed to keep eight clean sheets while conceding nine times.
