Zambia will host Tanzania on Tuesday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Zambian fans are gnawing their nails after Avram Grant’s troops lost 2-1 to Morocco, and qualification is now hanging by a thread.
Although not all hope is lost, it is clear that the 2012 AFCON Champions are in a precarious position.
Zambia haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 11 games while Tanzania have failed to win an away fixture in their last five visits. The encounter has all the ingredients to deliver edge-of-the-seat moments.
After going winless in their last five competitive games, Zambia will require moments of magic to turn their fortunes around. Here’s everything you should know about today’s highly anticipated World Cup qualifier.
Head-to-Head (Last Five Games in all competitions)
Zambia: 3 wins
Tanzania: 3 Loses
Draws: 2
Form (Last Five Games)
Zambia: LWDLD
Tanzania: DWLDD
Players to watch
Patson Daka (Zambia) – He may have been off-color against Morocco but there is no doubt that the Leicester City forward could be a handful for the East African defense. The striker, who often performs while on national duty, cannot be written off. Daka has already scored on 3 occasions during qualifiers and could add to his tally. He also scored the only goal for Zambia when they last met Tanzania at AFCON earlier this year.
Ibrahim Hamad (Tanzania) – Regarded as an uprising defender in Tanzania, the center-back will be keen on putting in a solid performance to deny Zambia a goal. The Young African player was in sublime form last time out in Tanzania’s 0-0 draw against Indonesia in a friendly.