Zambia kicked off their 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in emphatic fashion, securing a 3-1 victory over Tanzania in their Group A opener.
The Young Copper Bullets took an early lead just seven minutes into the match when captain Jonathan Kalimina unleashed a stunning long-range strike from outside the 18-yard box.
Striker Abel Salim Nyirongo doubled Zambia’s advantage with a well-taken close-range volley, capitalizing on a brilliant assist from Nthasilwe Mapulande.
Despite Zambia’s dominance in the second half, Tanzania had two clear opportunities to score, both stemming from defensive lapses by the Young Copper Bullets. However, they failed to capitalize on these chances.
With 80 minutes played, Mike Mutale extended Zambia’s lead with a composed finish from a Robert Banda cross inside the Tanzanian box. The first assistant referee initially ruled the goal offside, but after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the decision was overturned, confirming Zambia’s third goal.
Late Drama
There was late drama in the 95th minute as Juma Sangwe pulled one back for Tanzania. However, Gabriel Phiri responded a minute later, dribbling into the box and calmly slotting home the final goal to seal Zambia’s victory.
This victory marks a historic moment for Zambia, as it is their first-ever win in an opening match at the U-17 AFCON. The team previously competed in the tournament in 2015 and 2023 but was eliminated in the group stage on both occasions. In their past two debuts, they suffered narrow 1-0 defeats—falling to Guinea in 2015 and Nigeria in 2023.
Ian Bakala’s side will now shift their focus to their next Group A fixture against hosts and table leaders Morocco, who made a strong statement with a 5-0 thrashing of Uganda in their opening match. The crucial encounter is set for Friday.
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