Former Zambia midfielder Thomas Nyirenda is confident that the Chipolopolo can collect maximum points from their back-to-back 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Burundi.
Zambia will host Burundi at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Friday before travelling to Bujumbura for the return fixture three days later.
The Chipolopolo currently has three points in Group I, one behind leaders Algeria, while Togo also has three points. Burundi sits at the bottom of the group with one point.
Speaking to BolaNews, Nyirenda said Zambia had an advantage on paper but warned that the team must translate its superior ranking and quality into performances on the pitch.
“I think we have the upper hand on paper compared to Burundi. We are ranked 91st and Burundi 140th, which shows how much better we are than them. But we have to show that on the pitch because football has really changed these days,” he said.
Nyirenda also identified defensive solidity as an important factor in the two fixtures, noting that Zambia had enough attacking quality to find the net.
“If we can maintain a clean sheet, it will be better for us because we can score at any time. We have players who are capable of scoring,” he said.
He further believes the return of midfielder Kings Kangwa for the second leg would provide a significant boost to Zambia’s attacking options, particularly through his creativity and intelligence in midfield.
“Going into the following qualifiers, the return of Kings Kangwa is a big boost to the squad with his intelligence and creativity in midfield,” Nyirenda said.
