Zambia’s Men’s U-23 National Team arrived in Ouagadougou 14 hours ahead of tonight’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Burkina Faso.

The team’s departure was delayed by several hours at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka before they eventually left Zambia at 23:00 hours last night.

In a statement, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) attributed the delay to the charter company contracted to provide the aircraft, which failed to secure the necessary overflight clearances from some countries along the planned route.

FAZ said it had decided to engage the Government to facilitate chartered air transport for the team to ensure that both fixtures could be fulfilled within the stipulated timeframe. The Government “graciously” responded by securing a chartered aircraft, which was scheduled to depart in the early hours of Monday, November 9, 2026.

“However, the departure was delayed after the charter company failed to secure the necessary overflight clearances from some countries along the planned route. This unforeseen development affected the scheduled departure despite the arrangements that had been put in place.”

The U-23 AFCON will also serve as the qualifying competition for the 2028 Olympic Games.