. As Zambia drafts senior teamcoach for Olympic ticket

By JOE APU

NIGERIA’S U-23 national team, the Dream Team yesterday had their first training session ahead of their opening Group B game against Mali on sunday in M’ bour, Senegal.

The team which landed at the Leopold Senghor International Airport, Dakar at 1.00am local time aboard an Arik Airline flight and were received by the head of chancery Embassy of the federal republic of Nigeria, Haruna Musa on behalf of the ambassador were in no mood for jokes.

According to thenff.com, the delegation of 21 players, 10 officials after airport formalities, were immediately taken by road to M’bour, venue of its first two group games, and later arrived the hotel reserved for them, the Framissima Palm Beach at about 3.00 am local time.

Meanwhile with the arrival of the Dream Team, all the participating teams have now arrived Senegal as Nigeria were the last team to arrive.

Meanwhile, information coming out of Zambia has it that the senior national team coach George Lwandamina has joined the U23 team ahead of the CAF Eight Nations tournament.

According to the Times of Zambia, ‘Chicken’ as Lwandamina is also known, has been roped in to boost the technical team as Zambia are looking to make their return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1988.

Lwandamina will work together with the head coach, Fighton Simukonda, with the Football Associa- tion of Zambia communications manager, Nkweto Tembwe confirming the move by saying Lwandamina is also part of all the national teams starting from Under-17 to the senior squad.

SUN