The last time Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo met at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was in 2015, and the match ended 1-1 with Given Singuluma and Yannick Bolaise scoring for their countries.
Zambia was eliminated from the competition after finishing last in the group stage with two points. That was after two draws against Cape Verde and Congo, while Tunisia, which defeated them 2-1, led the group with 5 points and advanced alongside the second-placed Leopards.
That was Zambia’s last AFCON appearance; however, the Chipolopolo have not lost their opening match since 2006, when they were defeated 4-1 by Tunisia.
They are unbeaten in their last five opening matches at AFCON, winning two and drawing three.
The Chipolopolo will return to the tournament after missing the previous three editions.
Al Fayha FC attacker Fashion Sakala, who was the highest Zambian scorer in 2023 with 22 goals for club and country, believes Zambia has one of the most “dangerous” attackers heading to the AFCON.
“We are ready for any team, to be honest,” he told FAZ media. “And the good thing about our squad is that our attacking players are all dangerous.”
He continued: “This is the good thing about our squad; everyone can score so we are all hungry to score. We can get goals from each and every player.”
‘We are not afraid’- Mbemba
In response, DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba stated during a pre-match press conference in San Pedro yesterday that his team is not afraid of Zambia’s attackers.
“We are not afraid of the Zambian attack,” said the center-back, who plays for Ligue 1 club Marseille.
He added, “We will wait for tomorrow to show what we can do.”
Mbemba went on to say that he is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with the team as he prepares to make his fifth appearance at the AFCON finals.
Zambia’s attack has been lethal since the arrival of Avram Grant. They have scored 18 goals while allowing eight in their last nine games across all competitions, with 5 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws.
Congo, on the other hand, has scored 12 goals and conceded eight, losing four of their last nine matches while winning five.
The two neighboring countries clash tonight at the Laurent Pokou stadium in a Group F opener.
