Chipolopolo assistant coach Moses Sichone has made it clear that Zambia is heading to this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to compete, not just to make up the numbers.  

Zambia was drawn into Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Mali, and Comoros, setting up an exciting challenge. Reacting to the draw, Sichone emphasized the need for adequate preparations.  

“It’s a very interesting group that Zambia is in. We need to do good preparation, not this time going there just to participate but to compete,” he told FAZ media.

Zambia has faced Morocco in several recent encounters, including the last AFCON in Ivory Coast and the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, losing on both occasions, 1-0 and 2-1, respectively. Sichone believes Chipolopolo has shown progress and is confident they can deliver a strong performance.  

“We played Morocco last year twice, and we have seen the type of game they have been playing. But looking at how we have played the last four games, I think the team looks ready, and I am very optimistic that this time will do better.”

Sichone added, “The most important thing is preparation. If you look at the last AFCON we played, we only had one friendly game—if I’m not mistaken, against Cameroon. After that, we went into the tournament, and as it progressed, we saw the team improving. That’s why I’m emphasizing that this time, we need to prepare adequately.”

Zambian players need game time—Sichone

With many Zambian players based in Europe, Sichone stressed the importance of ensuring they get enough game time ahead of the tournament while also urging locally based players to step up.  

“Some of our guys in Europe are not playing 90 minutes regularly—they need more game time. And for the locally-based players, they need to pull up their socks and be consistent,” he said.

The AFCON will kick off on December 21, 2025, in Morocco and Sichone sees the timing as positive, giving Zambia ample time to prepare and allowing injured players to recover.  

“This gives us time to prepare well. Looking at the previous games, we had a lot of injuries. Thank God the tournament is in December—it gives time for everyone to be fit.”

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