Former Chipolopolo Boys defender Chintu Kampamba believes Zambia has been placed in a fair group for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Chipolopolo Boys were on Monday night placed in Group A with the hosts Morocco, Mali, and the Comoros. They’ll launch their campaign against Mali on December 21, 2025.
The 2012 AFCON champions will look to improve on their previous performance at the tournament, where they were eliminated in the group stage last year, losing 1-0 to Morocco after two back-to-back 1-1 draws against DR Congo and Tanzania.
Reacting to Monday’s draw, Kampamba said the Chipolopolo Boys just need to prepare adequately because all their opponents are beatable.
“I think it’s a fair draw for us. I believe we can beat Morocco. Mali, we have beaten them before so is Comoros. What’s going to matter now is the form of our players building up for the same Afcon and preparations. I believe this time we will do better if we prepare well too. Otherwise, we are in a good group,” Kampamba told BolaNews in an exclusive interview.
Based on Zambia’s previous performances against Group A opponents, Chipolopolo has struggled against Morocco in a competitive game since 1993. Their last competitive victory over Morocco came on July 4, 1993, when they defeated the Atlas Lions 2-1 in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Lusaka’s Independence Stadium.
Grant’s side has a good record against the Comoros, having not lost since 2010. Zambia has faced Mali five times since 1994. Chipolopolo has won twice and drawn twice, with their most recent meeting in a friendly game in 2022 ending in a 1-0 loss.
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