Zambia Men’s U20 national team head coach Boyd Mulwanda says his team is prepared to deliver a strong performance against Tanzania as they search for their first win at the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt.
The Junior Chipolopolo are in urgent need of a victory, having collected just two points from their opening two matches, both of which ended goalless against Sierra Leone and Egypt. They currently sit fourth in Group A and must win to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.
Zambia’s last appearance at the tournament ended without a single win, and the team is eager to change that narrative this time around.
“It’s important for us. We just have to win tomorrow’s game so that we give ourselves hope to qualify for the quarterfinals,” Mulwanda said. “I think it’s not an easy game because even Tanzania still believes that if they can win the last two games that they have, they will also qualify. So that makes it very tricky for us.”
“We have told the boys that let’s go and fight and win this match. It won’t be an easy game. We just need to work hard and win that game,” he added.
Tanzania sits at the bottom of Group A with no points after losing their first two matches, and Mulwanda admits the upcoming clash comes with significant pressure.
“I think it’s a game that has got a lot of pressure because even Tanzania, they’ll come trying to redeem themselves. They haven’t won a game. They haven’t drawn a game and they still on zero points.”
Mulwanda acknowledged that his own players are also feeling the weight of expectation. “There’s pressure for the boys also. They also want to show that they can get the goals,” he said.
Sierra Leone leads Group A with seven points, followed by Egypt with four points from three matches, while South Africa sits third with three points.
A win against Tanzania would significantly boost Zambia’s chances of reaching the knockout stage, as it would lift them into second place ahead of their final group match against South Africa on Friday.
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