Zambia Men’s U-17 National Team head coach Ian Bakala has promised an impressive performance at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, vowing to deliver after an underwhelming outing last year.
The junior Chipolopolo left for Morocco on Monday night to compete in the tournament, which will run from March 30th to April 19th, 2025.
Bakala’s team, drawn in Group A with hosts Morocco, Uganda, and Tanzania, will look to replicate their strong performance at the Cosafa Championship. Their goal is to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the AFCON, which would guarantee automatic qualification for their first-ever World Cup appearance.
Zambia will begin their journey on March 31st with a match against Tanzania, followed by fixtures against Morocco and Uganda on April 3rd and 6th, respectively. This marks their third appearance at the U17 AFCON, and they are determined to break through the group stage this time around.
In an interview, coach Bakala expressed confidence in his team’s readiness, stating, “The team looks much better than before, but we are very happy and I think the boys are ready. Where we are going, we are promising you to deliver something for the country. We are ready for the tournament and we will come back with something.”
Team captain Jonathan Kalimina also shared the team’s determination, saying, “We prepared very well with my teammates and we adapted to what the coaches were telling us in training. We just need to work hard; we know it won’t be easy, but we will work together as a team so that we go to the World Cup.”
Zambia secured their place in the tournament by winning the COSAFA U-17 Championship, defeating Angola. The AFCON also serves as a qualification pathway to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, with the top 10 African teams earning a spot in the competition.
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