As the African Nations Championship (CHAN) approaches, Zambia’s preparations have gathered pace. He might not have spoken publicly about it, but head coach Avram Grant faces a tricky decision: ‘who will be my tournament first-choice keeper?’
Toaster Nsabata, a ‘sometimes’ reliable presence between the sticks in recent years, is ineligible for the tournament. His move to South Africa’s Sekhukhune United rules him out under CHAN regulations, which allow only players who compete in their country’s domestic league.
Lawrence Mulenga, the man who has shown flashes of being a long-term Chipolopolo number one, has also been excluded. A shaky run at Power Dynamos saw him lose his starting role to Willard Mwanza and, with it, his national team call-up.
That leaves Grant with four options: Charles Kalumba, Willard Mwanza, Francis Mwansa, and Levison Banda. Grant may already have an idea who his number one will be, but if you ask around, there’s no clear consensus on who starts.
So who’s who?
Francis Mwansa
The 23 – year – old is not untested at this level. He made his Chipolopolo debut in a 2 – 1 semi – final win over South Africa at the 2023 COSAFA, he went on to play the final and kept a clean sheet in the 1 – 0 win over Lesotho.
His biggest game for Chipolopolo was the 4–2 win against Congo Brazzaville in the 2026 World Cup qualifier at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. He could not go on and cement his place as a first choice. He was a squad member at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast last year.
His transfer from Green Buffaloes to Zanaco in the current transfer window signals his rising stock. He had a decent season with Green Buffaloes last season playing 30 games, conceding 20 goals and keeping 10 clean sheets.
There’s no questioning Mwansa’s potential. While he may be prone to the occasional errors, he has clearly earned the admiration of Grant who has previously spoken highly of the Zanaco keeper.
Willard Mwanza
Mwanza is the man of the moment. Power Dynamos’ No.1 took Mulenga’s shirt and never looked back, earning the league’s Golden Glove after conceding just 8 goals in 20 appearances.
I have watched Mwanza on several occasions, and I love the way he owns his box. He is a coach’s dream when the balls are in the air and he’s got that keeper’s instinct to pull out some great saves.
The worry? His footwork. There is an obsession for ball playing keepers in football these days and I think that’s not Mwanza’s best attribute. It would be interesting to see if Grant will trust Mwanza for this assignment.
Charles Kalumba
Kalumba is the most statistically impressive keeper in the group: 13 clean sheets in 24 matches, and 16 goals conceded for Red Arrows last season.
Kalumba made his Chipolopolo debut in a 2 – 0 loss to Uganda in an international friendly four years ago. Many feel the 29-year-old has not harnessed the few opportunities he has been given to challenge Nsabata and Mulenga.
The Airman is blessed with decent reflexes, once in a while he makes difficult saves look routine. But there’s a catch — or rather, a lack of one, he doesn’t communicate with his defense as much as he should, making it difficult for him to organize his backline.
Levison Banda
Then there’s Levison Banda, the youngest of the group and arguably the wildcard. At just 20 years old, the Zesco United goalkeeper logged only nine minutes of top-flight action last season, coming on late in a goalless draw against NAPSA Stars after Philip Sakautu was forced off with an injury.
He earned some decent reviews at this year’s Africa under – 20 Cup of Nations where he kept three clean sheets and only conceded one goal in four matches.
He’s quick, athletic, and shows promise. Should he make the CHAN party, the tournament will be a good learning curve for the lad.
Who do you fancy to be Zambia’s last man of defense at CHAN?
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