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By Vitus Michael

The Football Association of Zambia have confirmed that the national senior men team, the Chipolopolo will camp on West Africa. country ahead of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifying race.

Grouped along side 2015 champions and next edition’s host, Cote D’Ivoire as well as 2021 AFCON debutants, Comoros and Lesotho, Zambia will begin their campaign for the 34th AFCON on June 3rd against Cote D’Ivoire.

An the ZAF have announced that the team is set to Camp in West Africa and is also expected to play an International match against Benin or Ghana after the friendly match against India which the locally assembled Chipolopolo players will feature on May 23 2022.

FAZ President, Andrew Kamanga confirmed on Monday that the Chipolopolo Boys will play friendly matches with West African side before their first AFCON qualifier against Ivory Coast.

Kamanga who was speaking in his weekly update however, refused to name the country the team will be camping

“On the international side, the break presents an opportunity for the national team technical staff to assemble the local players and intensify preparations for the Ivory Coast 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. We have already laid out an intensive program that will see the Chipolopolo face India in Qatar on May 23 before heading to West Africa for an international camp preceding the June 4 encounter against Côte d’Ivoire,” Kamanga wrote.

“We have lined up international friendly matches against West African teams where we hope our foreign based players would have joined camp to give the technical bench an opportunity to test their squad ahead of the June 4 encounter.”

The 2012 AFCON Champions will then host Comoros on June 14 before a back-to-back engagement with Lesotho at home on September 19 and in Maseru eight days later.

The Enock Mwepu captained side will then host Ivory Coast on March 20th, 2023 before wrapping up their campaign away in Moroni with a date against Comoros on March 28th.

Zambia will be desperate to make it to the continental showpiece after missing the last three consecutive tournaments.

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON champions will battle their way for a place in the 2023 continental biennial showpiece in Group J along side host, Cote D’Ivoire, 2021 debutants, Comoros and Lesotho.

Zambia will begin their campaign on June 3rd with an away trip to 2015 Champions, Cote D’Ivoire on June 3rd.