Sikombe not taking his Zambia shirt for granted

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Jun 03, 2021. 16:03

Striker Collins Sikombe is not taking for granted his regular Chipolopolo call-ups and is hoping to put in an extra shift over the coming fortnight during the teams’ three-match friendly tour away against Senegal, Benin and Sudan.

The Lusaka Dynamos striker has been a constant feature in the Zambia team since coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s appointment fifteen months ago.

Sikombe also enjoyed a memorable debut in what was also Micho’s first match in charge when he scored in the teams’ 1-0 friendly win over Malawi in Lusaka on March 12, 2020.

“I am grateful as always to be back again in the national team. It is not easy because competition is high because a lot of other good players playing in the Zambian league also want to make the grade,” Sikombe said.

Sikombe has so far paid back Micho’s faith in him and is Zambia’s leading scorer in the Serbians’ 19-matches in charge on eight goals.

At club level, Sikombe is currently third placed Lusaka Dynamos top scorer on seven goals as they push for a debut continental qualification to try and clinch a 2020/2021 CAF Confederation Cup berth with three games left to play.

“If you don’t perform at the club you won’t make it; it is as simple as that,” Sikombe said.

“I will continue working hard as an individual as we go into September because I really want to be part of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time.”

Chipolopolo, who are using June friendlies to prepare for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup qualifiers, will kick off their Group B campaign this September away to Mauritania before hosting Tunisia.

Equatorial Guinea is the fourth team in their Group B qualifiers.