Zambia's Copper Bullets to acclimatise in Ghana ahead of their Oct 7 World Cup qualifier in Uyo

ZAMBIA'S national football team the Copper Bullets popularly known as Chipolopolo is to camp in Ghana ahead of the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Nigeria's Super Eagles in Uyo on October 7.

Early next month, the Copper Bullets will face the Eagles in a crunch match which they have to win to stand any chance of qualifying for Russia 2018. Nigeria is currently top of Group B with 10 points, while Zambia are second on seven points, with only two matches to go in the four-team group.

With Cameroon and Algeria both already out of the running, Zambia is the only team that can catch Nigeria and the Copper Bullets are keen to give it their best shot. When both teams met in Ndola on Match Day One, the Eagles took all three points, winning the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Since then, however, Zambia has been rejuvenated, beating Algeria home and away and Chipolopolo have made it clear they will give their all in Uyo. Andrew Kamanga, the president of the Football Association of Zambia said the Chipolopolo will spend a week in Ghana before heading for Uyo for the decider.

Mr Kamanga said: “The players who have been playing Cosafa and Cham will go first for two weeks training in Europe and then their colleagues will join them. Then we will move into Ghana for a week then go into Nigeria and fight to win because we believe we have a chance to go to the World Cup.”

Meanwhile Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has urged Nigerians to disregard the mind games of the Chipolopolo ahead of the game. Balogun, who was arguably one of the Eagles stand-out players in the double header against Cameroon earlier this month, has made eight appearances for the team since he made his debut in 2014.

Balogun, who plays for Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga, said: “I am looking forward to us getting the three points in the front of our crowd in Uyo. We are unbeaten so far in the World Cup qualifiers and the way we presented ourselves as a team so far, I think there is no need for one not to be confident.

“I don’t say it’s not possible that we lose but I want to win and I think the whole team wants to win and everybody wants to go to Russia and what better way to qualify than to do it in front of your fans.  So let’s all just be confident.”