Zambia’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) has gone beyond a disappointing end to Chipolopolo’s continental campaign, effectively shutting the door on what could have been a much larger financial return for the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
Chipolopolo were eliminated at the group stage after suffering a 3–0 defeat to hosts Morocco on Monday night, a result that confirmed their failure to progress to the knockout phase of the competition.
The defeat left Zambia bottom of Group A with two points, five behind Morocco, and restricted FAZ to a guaranteed US$500,000 payout under the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) revised prize money structure.
While the amount offers some relief to FAZ, it pales in comparison to the earnings available to teams that advance further in the tournament, particularly at a time when Football House continues to grapple with financial constraints.
CAF has significantly increased prize money for the current AfCON, tying on-field performance more directly to financial rewards. The tournament winners are set to earn US$10 million, while the losing finalists will receive US$4 million.
Teams reaching the semi-final stage are guaranteed US$2.5 million, with quarter-finalists assured US$1.3 million. Sides eliminated in the round of 16 will each walk away with US$800,000, amounts that far exceed the earnings secured by teams exiting at the group stage.
For Zambia, progression to the round of 16 alone would have delivered an additional US$300,000.
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