Next month, the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) kicks off in East Africa with Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda co-hosting the second-tier Africa Cup of Nations. Zambia will be led by Wedson Nyirenda.
Zambia qualified for the CHAN without kicking a ball after their opponent, Mozambique, pulled out of the qualifiers due to ongoing political instability. This will be Zambia’s fifth appearance at the tournament, which is exclusive to domestic league-based players.
The teams that have qualified are Morocco, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Others are Nigeria, Central Africa Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Angola, Madagascar, and the three hosts.
Ahead of the draw, Nyirenda has said Zambia cannot afford to cherry-pick opponents, stating that his team must be ready to face any side.
“All teams that have made it to Chan deserve the respect they so much command. It would be so perilous to single out some teams because today’s football has evolved and everyone is preparing accordingly,” Nyirenda said.
Zambia has been a regular at CHAN since its inception in 2009. The team has only missed three of the seven editions.
Nyirenda said the nature of football these days is that you cannot single out one favorite.
“There are teams that can be singled out on paper as giants like Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria and Zambia, but the game of football can humble you,” he said. “Sudan is doing well of late despite the war ravaging its country.”
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