Avram Grant’s final squad will be in Saudi Arabia before flying to San Pedro, where they will be based.
Some fans felt that camping in the Middle East is not ideal as the tournament will be held in the Ivory Coast, which is far from Saudi Arabia.
However, the Football Association of Zambia president, Andrew Kamanga, has since justified the decision, saying, “Naturally, Saudi Arabia is logistically logical as other teams will set up pre-tournament camps there, which makes it easy to network on friendly games.”
In his weekly column, Kamanga adds, “It also provides a quiet corner to better prepare for the assignment at hand.”
The Chipolopolo boys will make their 19th appearance at the tournament after missing out on three editions.
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The tournament will run from January 13th to February 11th, 2024, in Ivory Coast.
The 2012 Champions are placed in Group F alongside Morocco, DR Congo, and Tanzania.
Zambia’s first game will be against DR Congo on January 17 at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pédro.
