Zambia aim for second round

Zambia's coach Herve Renard is targeting a second round finish at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola.

The Chipolopolo, once a powerhouse in African football, have not gone the beyond group stage of the competition since 1996.

This year they are drawn in Group D against Cameroon, Tunisia and Gabon

And their French coach believes the task ahead will be difficult.

"The target is to reach the second round, but it won't be easy," Renard said.

"Playing three good teams is not easy but the target is simple and we don't want to hide anything," he added.

The Chipolopolo are currently training in South Africa where they beat Mozambique 1-0 in a friendly match last week.

The team had hoped to play Malawi and Benin in other warm-up matches but the games were cancelled.

The are now scheduled to meet South Korea on January 9 in another friendly.

On Friday Renard announced his final 23-man squad for Angola.

Germany-based midfielder Andrew Sinkala does not make the squad after allegedly complaining about poor remuneration for players.

Nigeria-based striker Signs Chibambo and winger Danny Hangunyu have also been left out.

Zambia's full team list:

Goalkeepers: Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars, South Africa), Kalililo Kakonje (Amazulu, South Africa), Jacob Banda (Zesco United).

Defenders: Dennis Banda (Green Buffaloes), Kampamba Chintu (Amazulu, South Africa), Hichani Himoonde (Zesco United), Emmanuel Mbola (Pyunik Yerevan, Armenia), Joseph Musonda (Lamontville Golden Arrows, South Africa), Thomas Nyirenda (Zanaco).

Midfielders: Isaac Chansa (Helsingborg, Sweden), Noah Chivuta (Maritzburg United, South Africa), Rainford Kalaba (União de Leiria, Portugal),Francis Kasonde (Al Suwaiq, Oman), Felix Katongo (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Clifford Mulenga (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Stophira Sunzu (Zanaco), William Njobvu ((Hapoel Kiryat Shmone, Israel).

Strikers: Christopher Katongo (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Jacob Mulenga (FC Utrecht, Netherlands), Emmanuel Mayuka (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), James Chamanga (Dalian Shide, China), Given Singuluma (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Collins Mbesuma (Moroka Swallows, South Africa).

Source:bbc.co.uk

Zambia: Zambia performed well in fighting piracy last year- Nkonde

Intellectual Property Specialist Kingsley Nkonde says Zambia performed very well in the fight against piracy last year.

Mr Nkonde told ZANIS in an interview, yesterday that, the success for Zambia making a mark against piracy is mainly due to the introduction of the Intellectual property unit by the Zambia Police.

He said the establishment of the unit had greatly assisted the country to effectively fight Piracy and other counterfeit products through intensified patrols.

He further said the fight against piracy and counterfeits, last year, also enjoyed political will by government.

Mr Nkonde noted it was with for this structural reason that Zambia was the only country in the region that had exposed a lot of counterfeit products not only in the music industry but in the manufacturing sector as well.

He has also paid tribute to the alert members of the general public who he said helped counter pricacy and counterfeit products in the country.

The Intellectual Property Specialist said Zambia curbed a lot of industrial counterfeits products such as fake Kiwi Polish , batteries and Vaseline among others.

He paid tribute to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services (MIBS) and the police have done a lot of sensitization fight against piracy and counterfeit products to the public and added that a lot of people nterrogate their products before buying.

Mr Nkonde however said that the Music Industry performed badly last year as a number of local and international music products were pirated.

He noted that the problem has been that the people who pirate have also advanced in the equipments.

He noted the need for government to put in place security measures which will distinguish original products from counterfeit products.

ZANIS

Source:lusakatimes.com/

Banda sacks minister over tribal comments

LUSAKA, Sunday

President Rupiah Banda has sacked a controversial minister close to the late president Levy Mwanawasa for continually questioning his leadership style.

The relationship between President Banda and his minister of science, technology and vocational training, Mr Gabriel Namulambe became frosty last November when the latter openly denounced the Banda administration saying the Lamba people were frustrated, hurt and injured by constant attacks on Mr Mwanawasa’s legacy.

President Banda’s spokesperson Mr Dickson Jere announced on Sunday that pursuit to powers vested in him by the Zambian Constitution the head of state revoked the appointment of Mr Namulambe as minister. He did not give reasons for the sacking.

Mr Jere said President Banda would soon replace Mr Namulambe. In November last year, Mr Namulambe told a local newspaper that Mr Mwanawasa’s tribe mates were unhappy with senior government officials’ attacks on the late president.

“I want to warn that we who were of the same tribe with the late president, we feel greatly injured because that person was a nationalist who did not know tribal politics or anything.

‘‘He appointed people on merit, some of us for instance. We must be respected as Lambas”, Mr Namulambe had told The Post newspaper last year sparking condemnation, and support, from various interest groups with others calling for his resignation or be sacked

Source:nation.co.ke/