On Sunday, the Zambia U20 national team will play Sierra Leone in a trick match to begin the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Boyd Mulwanda, the team’s head coach, has emphasized the importance of their opening game, saying it will set the stage for their advancement in the competition.

“We have prepared, and we know the importance of it being the first game that is the one that is going to determine how far we are going to go in the tournament” Mulwanda said.

Mulwanda based his strategy on teamwork, pointing out that youth tournaments sometimes contain relatively new teams.

“I think haven’t watched Sierra Leone, but we know being youth teams all the teams are new that have come here what is important is how best you prepare the team that is going to be more important for us,” the coach noted.

He said that the goal is to replicate the accomplishments of the 2017 team that won the U-20 AFCON trophy domestically.

“That is the message that we have been preaching to the boys to say that the 2017 boys went to the World cup and won the AFCON,” Mulwanda added.