The Zambia Futsal National Team recorded a 2-0 win over Mozambique on Saturday to qualify for the 2024 CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations set for Morocco.
The result was enough to overturn Mozambique’s 3-2 triumph in Maputo in the first leg. The qualification counts as third for Zambia, which qualified for back-to-back tournaments held in 2008 and 2016 in Libya and South Africa, respectively.
The Africa Futsal Cup of Nations, a five-player per team football game played on a hard court, usually indoors, was first held in 1996 and has been played every four years, organized by CAF.
Zambia’s best record at the tournament is a 4th place berth at the 2016 championships hosted by South Africa, as they lost 2-1 to Mozambique on penalties following a 5-5 draw.
Who else has qualified ?
A total of eight teams—Morocco, Ghana, Namibia, Egypt, Angola, Mauritania, Libya, and Zambia—will compete for the coveted title in Morocco. The championship will be held in the city of Rabat from April 8–17, 2024.
The tournament will welcome debutants Namibia and Mauritania, while Ghana broke the 28-year-old jinx to make their second appearance at the Futsal AFCON.
Since qualifying for their first tournament in 2000, Morocco has finished the competition on the podium with two gold medals that came in 2016 and 2020, silver in 2000, and bronze in 2004 and 2008.
Record three-time winners, Egypt will be seeking an elusive fourth title, with their last triumph coming in 2004, as they scooped the first two editions in 1996 and 2000.
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The 2008 champions, Libya, will be hoping to get better than the 4th-place finish at the last tournament in Morocco.
Only three teams—Egypt, Morocco, and Libya—have won the Futsal Africa Cup since 1996.
