Expect no walk in the park, Nyirenda warns Chipolopolo Boys.

Expect no walk in the park, Nyirenda warns Chipolopolo Boys.

As Chipolopolo prepares for the World Cup qualifiers, the team is receiving valuable advice from an experienced figure, Wedson Nyirenda.

Several Chipolopolo players have begun assembling at the Ndola camp to ready themselves for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Friday.

Wedson Nyirenda, who played a pivotal role as the supervisor of Chipolopolo’s qualifying games for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, is encouraging the players to give their all right from the beginning.
Nyirenda is well-regarded for orchestrating a double victory over Algeria in the qualifying group, securing Zambia’s second-place finish with eight points, trailing five behind Nigeria, while Cameroon and Algeria had seven and four points, respectively.

In an interview with BolaNews, Nyirenda, who currently serves as the head coach of Zanaco, emphasized the significance of starting strong on the grand stage of the World Cup qualifiers, urging the Avram Grant-led team to capitalize on early points and build on the momentum gained in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.

Chipolopolo, under Grant’s guidance, remains unbeaten in competitive matches, securing three victories and one draw to qualify for the Afcon, triumphing over Lesotho and Comoros. Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Congo Brazzaville, Nyirenda cautioned against complacency despite the team’s recent success.

While expressing confidence in Zambia’s ability to secure a victory, Nyirenda stressed that the match wouldn’t be a walk in the park, anticipating a challenging contest.
He also highlighted the importance of keeping focus on the subsequent game against Niger in Morocco.

Zambia, positioned in Group E of the qualifiers, faces tough opponents, including 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, Niger, Tanzania, and Congo Brazzaville, with Eritrea having withdrawn from the competition.

Notably, foreign-based players such as Lameck Banda, Fashion Sakala, and Rally Bwalya have already joined the camp in preparation for the back-to-back matches.