Morocco legend Mustapha Hadji says Chipolopolo is among the teams his country should look out for in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A because Avram Grant’s men have character.
Zambia was placed in Group A of the 2025 AFCON against the hosts, Mali and Comoros.
Against the odds, Chipolopolo qualified for the AFCON as group leaders in a group that had defending champions Ivory Coast.
It is that character that Hadji is wary of.
“I think it is a difficult group… Without forgetting the two other teams, Zambia and Comoros [these] are teams with character so we have to be focused,” Hadji, who attended the draw on Monday in Rabat, said.
Heading to their 20th AFCON appearance, the Atlas Lions will be looking to end a 49-year continental drought, having last lifted the title in 1976 at the Ethiopia edition.
Talent not enough to win AFCON- Hadji
Morocco last reached the semi-finals in 2004, where they were edged by Tunisia and Hadji has also warned them against underestimating their opponents. He added that talent alone is not enough to win AFCON.
“The challenge is immense, gigantic. We must not leave thinking that we are 100% winners,” the 53-year-old said on CAFOnline. “You have to respect all the opponents. African football today is full of great talents and great teams. There are no more small nations. No one can say that a match will be easy or won in advance, no matter who the opponent is.
The former Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon star, who earned 63 Morocco caps and scored 12 goals for his country, continued: “It is true that Morocco currently has an exceptional generation with great talents. But this will not be enough. We will have to prove it on the pitch. We will have to work hard, and this, in front of a crowd that expects a lot. Playing at home adds extra pressure. It’s never easy to play at home and win the AFCON.”
Morocco a thorn in Zambia’s flesh
The Atlas Lions are in the same group with Zambia for the second time in a row. The two were again paid during last year’s edition which saw the Southern African side lose by a goal to exit the AFCON.
If the head-to-head record is anything to go by, Hadji may just be acting polite because Zambia has not caused any problems to Morocco in a competitive game since 1993.
Zambia’s last competitive win over Morocco was on July 4, 1993, when they beat Morocco 2-1 in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Independence Stadium in Lusaka.
In that game, Morocco took the lead through Rachid Daoudi in the 11th minute but an inspirational second-half performance by Zambia saw Kalusha Bwalya and Johnson Bwalya score in the 60th and 67th minutes, respectively, to guarantee the win.
Meanwhile, Hadji also said he is looking forward to the game against Mali.
“Mali, we know [them] well; the Comoros we have played them many times but Malians, it is like a derby; it is going to be a difficult match,” he said.
Zambia will start the competition against Mali on December 22 before facing Comoros four days later.
By the time they face Morocco, Chipolopolo will wish they had already secured a place in the knockout stage where they can meet any of the following teams: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
