DR Congo will be taking on Zambia in their Africa Cup of Nations Group F opener on the 17th of January at Laurent Pokou Stadium. DR Congo has won the tournament before on two occasions. They first scooped the trophy in 1968 as Congo-Kinshasa and then won it again in 1974 as Zaire.
Zambia last won the trophy in 2012, in Gabon where they beat some of the favorites in the tournament that year, the likes of Senegal, Ghana, and then Ivory Coast in the final. Chipolopolo finished off their preparations for the AFCON with a 1-1 draw game, in a friendly match against Cameroon.
The last time these two teams met was in 2015 which was also the last time Zambia qualified for the AFCON. That match ended in a 1-1 draw and the Copper Bullets bowed out of the tournament in the group stage without winning a single match.
Head-to-Head (Since 2009)
DR Congo: 1 Win
Zambia: 0 Wins
Draws: 1 Draw
FORM (Last Five Games)
DR Congo: D L W D D
Zambia: D L W W L
Players to Watch
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo): The 29-year-old attacking midfielder came on as a substitute in the game against Gabon during the AFCON qualifiers to score the winner for his country. His work rate in the team could give the Chipolopolo defence a lot to think about going into this match.
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Patson Daka (Zambia): The Leicester City striker picked up from where he left off in the qualifiers and scored a goal for Chipolopolo in their friendly match against Cameroon. He has now scored 19 goals for the Copper Bullets since 2015 and is yet to score more as he is still only 25 years of age.
BETTING TIP: Zambia to win or draw and both teams to score
ODDS: 3.05
