Fashion Sakala has praised Zambian national team coach Avram Grant for the positive impact he has had on the team since his appointment.
Grant was appointed head coach of Zambia on December 22, 2022. He was given the primary goal of securing qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a target he has achieved.
The 68-year-old former Ghana and Chelsea FC manager has gone on to win five matches. He has lost two and drawn two, scoring 18 goals while allowing eight.
With his emphasis on quality, desire, and passion as the standard for players to be selected to don the Chipolopolo shirt, Sakala says Grant has changed the team.
“Since he joined the national team, to be fair, a lot of things have changed,” he told FAZ media. “You can see the squad is not the same; he is like our mentor. I don’t know the best words to use to describe his impact, but you can see that the squad is very motivated compared to the way it was before.”
Sakala continued: “We were in a very bad situation. We were not sure when we were going to the games if we were going to win. It was like a 50/50 situation but now that he came in, we are sure that we were going to win.
“Look at the way we killed [beat] Ivory Coast in Ndola; look at the way we killed Lesotho. This is what Avram Grant has brought…… And he is always talking about dedication, hard work, and passion, and this is what has changed.”
“Everyone wants to play”- Sakala
Sakala also revealed that the fighting mentality of the players has changed under Grant.
“All the players are working hard. Each and every player is showing passion and dedication because players want to play…… And at the end of the day, we are getting results because no one wants to stay on the bench.
“Everyone wants to prove themselves, and in trying to prove themselves to play every game, it is helping us get the results.
“I hope the team continues to do well like this as we are here in the Africa Cup. I am just hoping we can go as far as possible in this tournament and I believe that we can do it.”
READ MORE: Fashion Sakala explains why Chipolopolo’s attack is dangerous
The Chipolopolo Boys are in Group F alongside Morocco, the DR Congo, and Tanzania.
They will kick off their campaign against DR Congo on Wednesday in San Pedro at the Laurent Pokou stadium.
