Fourth Republican president Rupiah Banda has urged Zambia’s Chipolopolo to put the disappointment of their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations failure behind and focus on beating Lesotho in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
In a statement issued by deputy administrative assistant Kennedy Limwanya, Banda said Chipolopolo should ensure they get a comfortable result in the away tie against Lesotho.
“Zambia can still go all the way and qualify to her maiden World Cup appearance, adding that recent African football results have shown that anything was possible for any team that had a positive attitude,” the statement reads.
Banda has also has advised boxer Catherine Phiri to go for an outright victory in tomorrow’s defence of her World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF) bantamweight belt against Leslie Domingo of the Philippines.
Below is the statement issued by the Office of the Fourth Republican President
PRESIDENT BANDA URGES CATHERINE PHIRI TO WIN CONVINCINGLY
LUSAKA, 22nd March, 2013— His Excellency Rupiah Bwezani Banda, the Fourth President of the Republic of Zambia, has advised boxer Catherine Phiri to go for an outright victory in tomorrow’s defence of her World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF) bantamweight belt against Leslie Domingo of the Philippines.
The former President says victory for Catherine would serve as a fitting appetiser for the Zambia national soccer team as they take on Lesotho in a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in Maseru on Sunday.
He believes that judging from Catherine’s performance in her last international fight against Canada’s Nathalie Forget in October last year, the Zambian pugilist possesses enough skills to defend her title tomorrow.
And on the Chipolopolo, the former head of State has urged the squad to put behind the disappointment of their failure to defend the 2012 African Cup of Nations title by ensuring that they get a comfortable result in the away tie against Lesotho.
President Banda says despite the early exit from the 2013 Africa Cup, Zambia can still go all the way and qualify to her maiden World Cup appearance, adding that recent African football results have shown that anything was possible for any team that had a positive attitude.
The retired President is an ardent sports administrator and once served as Football Association of Zambia vice-president and was involved in the sports management team that oversaw Zambia’s golden era of professional boxing in the 1980s.
Issued by:
Kennedy Limwanya
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
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