After defeating Congo Brazzaville 4-2 at home, Zambia suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Niger on Tuesday, dropping them to third place in Group E, as Morocco surpassed them after playing only one game, a 2-0 win over Tanzania.

While the majority of the team players have yet to speak after the defeat, Kings Kangwa and Emmanuel Banda have issued apologies to the fans.

“We let you down in our previous game and we are going to rectify that on the pitch,” wrote Red Star Belgrade midfielder Kangwa, before calling upon fans to rally behind the team even in defeat.

“Let’s put this setback behind us as we focus on the upcoming AFCON. The World Cup journey is very long and we shall fight to the end. My plea to you all is to continue rallying behind us even in such times,” he added.

Banda also took to his Facebook page and said the team will recover from the defeat and focus on the Africa Cup of Nations, which will start on January 13th in Ivory Coast.

“We have been on a good run lately and maybe just maybe, that got to us a bit. We shall not utter any excuses for our defeat but we shall build from it and improve as we head into AFCON,” he wrote.

The HNK Rijeka central midfielder further said the team continues believing amidst the defeat.

“We have a team capable of doing wonders. We believe and we hope you will believe too,” he added.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga also said the loss was “an eye-opener to improve and make sure we can make the nation proud again.”

Zambia will resume its World Cup qualification campaign on June 5 next year when they face Morocco away.