The Chipolopolo boys finished third after defeating host Malawi 2-1 at Bingu National Stadium during the Four Nations Tournament.

Malawi finished last, putting significant pressure on head coach Patrick Mabedi, who had promised a victory.

The Flames lost their first match 4-0 to Kenya, while Zambia lost 6-5 on penalties to Zimbabwe following a 2-2 tie in regulation time.

After the game, Grant said he was happy with his team’s attacking prowess but believes there is still room for improvement in the defense.

“We played good football in the first half; we tried in the second half but it was a different game. We had some new players to assess and they did well. Our target is the next qualification, and I think we have the team. This tournament has given us a lot; in every game we scored two goals, which is good, but we have to work on the defence,” he said.  

“We improved”- Mabedi

His Malawian counterpart, Patrick Mabedi expressed satisfaction with his players’ performances.

“When you look at the first match [against Kenya] and today’s match, I would say today we improved. We wanted to win; unfortunately, we couldn’t make it, but we are happy with what we saw. We had an eye on what we expected from those players,” he said.

“Let me say that we are ready for the World Cup games, these games have given us what we wanted,” he added. 

Zambia’s next game is against Morocco on June 5, 2024, away, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier before hosting Tanzania in Ndola on June 8, 2024.

Malawi will also host Sao Tome and Principe before traveling to Equatorial Guinea for their World Cup qualifiers in June.

Meanwhile, the four-nation tournament will conclude today, with Kenya and Zimbabwe competing for first place at Lilongwe’s Bingu National Stadium.