Zambia Gears Up for World Cup Qualifiers Following AFCON Performance
Zambia Gears Up for World Cup Qualifiers Following AFCON Performance
After a narrow 1-0 defeat against Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations, the Zambian national team is gearing up for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, where they will face the same opponent in June. Despite a mixed record of one loss and one victory in their 2026 World Cup campaign, Zambia’s spirited second-half performance against Morocco has instilled hope for a strong showing in the qualifiers.
Andrew Kamanga, President of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), announced on Monday that the Chipolopolo Boys will utilize the March FIFA international break to play a friendly match as part of their preparations. Kamanga emphasized the importance of the upcoming qualifiers and stated, “Chipolopolo will be back in action next month during the FIFA window with at least a friendly match to prepare for the June FIFA World Cup qualifiers.”
Under the leadership of coach Avram Grant, who took over in late 2022, Zambia has made significant progress. Grant led the team to the AFCON after a three-year absence from the tournament and aims to capitalize on the experience gained at the continental championship to push for a historic World Cup qualification.
With no prior World Cup appearances in their history, Zambia has two potential pathways to achieve their maiden senior qualification: topping their group or participating in inter-continental playoffs. The technical bench is working diligently to draft a program for the Chipolopolo, aiming to maximize their chances of success in the upcoming qualifiers.
