Patson Daka scored his fourth goal of the season in the Premier League against Chelsea as the Foxes lost 3-1 at the King Power stadium on Saturday.
With the AFCON qualifiers on the horizon, his brilliant left-footed goal from outside the box certainly grabbed the attention of Chipolopolo coach Avan Grant.
The goal was definitely a huge statement to Grant who will bank on him and others to win his first match in charge of Zambia.
However, since his big-money move to Leicester City, the Zambian forward has failed to recapture his goal-scoring form from FC Red Bull Salzburg where he scored 68 goals in 125 games.
In his first season in the Premier League, Daka scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists in 23 matches. He also scored 5 goals in the Europa League to become the club’s all-time scorer in European competitions.
The Zambian international, however, has the same Premier League goals this season as Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, Everton’s Demarai Gray and other notable names who have scored four goals for their respective clubs.
In all competitions, Daka has 17 goals from 72 appearances for the Foxes since joining the club in 2021.
How important is Daka to Zambia’s quest for AFCON qualification?
With the AFCON qualifiers so close to resumption, the weight of expectation has never been this high for a team that has failed to qualify thrice in a row.
Following the announcement of the provision local squad, fans now wait anxiously for which foreign-based players will make the cut in Grant’s final squad.
Despite struggling to find his form this season, Daka still remains a focal point of Zambia’s attack and will certainly headline the final squad.
The Chipolopolo should be keen on starting on a good note when they take on Lesotho both home and away on the 23rd and 26th of March 2023.
READ ALSO: Where Are the Last Three Winners of the Under-20 Afcon Best Player Award?
Many are the times that the Chipolopolo capitulates from the onset and therefore have to rely on other results to make it out of a group.
But currently sitting second in Group H with 3 points below leaders Ivory Coast, who top the standings with 4 points, they will be eager to maintain their position or surpass the Elephants on the log.
Others in the group are Comoros who are third but level on points with Zambia while Lesotho is at rock bottom with just a point.
The last thing Zambian football enthusiasts want to do is pull out a calculator when the group heads into the last set of games.
Daka strike on Saturday, and with Fashion Sakala scoring for Rangers FC, the prospect of the dynamic duo reuniting has boosted the hopes of many Zambians ahead of the qualifiers.
WILL DAKA FINALLY HELP ZAMBIA QUALIFY FOR AFCON?
