With one year until the 2025 Morocco Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Zambia National Team coach Avram Grant has stated that the country’s preparation for the previous tournament was inadequate, and he is hopeful the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) will do better for the next edition.
Zambia only played one friendly game against Cameroon, which ended 1-1, ahead of the 2023 AFCON, which was held in 2024.
The team went on to record two consecutive 1-1 draws against DR Congo and Tanzania at the AFCON before losing 1-0 to Morocco and exiting the competition in the group stage.
Grant believes the players’ lack of experience and inadequate preparations contributed to their poor performance at the tournament.
“I think it was a lack of experience. Our preparation was not good,” he said. “We didn’t have a proper camp, and the players didn’t play [regularly] at their clubs. But I think even then we came as a good team. But you know with the qualification, Congo and Morocco on paper are much better than us, but we still did well against them.”
Looking ahead
Grant believes that with a year to prepare and the experience gained from the previous AFCON, the team can perform well in Morocco next year.
“I’m sure there’s next Africa [cup], and everybody learned their lesson. It’s an experience. I’ll always say the past is not for criticism and not to blame anybody. The past is for good memories. I will always take the good memories from here to my home and for lessons. And it was a good lesson for us because we have now another chance in Africa. And I’m sure if Zambia will prepare well [we can do better than last time].”
On his target, Grant told BolaNews that he wants the team to go past the group stage.
“Of course, the target is to come out of the group stages. That is the target, and its possible.”
Zambia qualified for next year’s AFCON after winning Group G with 13 points, ahead of reigning African champions Ivory Coast, who finished second with 12 points.
The Chipolopolo finished the qualifying phase strong, defeating the Elephants 1-0 in Ndola and then sweeping Sierra Leone 2-0.
The 2025 AFCON will kick off on December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, and Zambia will be making their 19th appearance in the tournament, hoping to advance past the group stage, a feat they have not accomplished since winning the trophy for the first time in 2012.
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