Former Chipolopolo defender Francis Kasonde says it takes time to build a squad that can win an African Cup of Nations tournament.
Kasonde was a member of the 2012 squad that triumphed over Ivory Coast in the AFCON final on post-match penalties to lift the country’s only AFCON title.
Zambia will be returning to the continental showpiece where they were drawn against Morocco, Mali, and Comoros.
At the last tournament, the Chipolopolo were eliminated in the group stage with two 1-1 draws against DR Congo and Tanzania and a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the final group match.
Reflecting on the 2012 victory, Kasonde said that it is saddening that 13 years have since passed since Zambia won a major trophy on the continent, and the team has failed to replicate the feat in recent years.
“It feels like a few years have passed since we won it because we haven’t won any major trophies since 2012 at the senior level,” Kasonde said.
Kasonde calls for patience
He, however, noted that it takes a long time to groom a squad that can finally conquer the continent, adding that patience is key when embarking on such a demanding target.
“We need to build a team as a nation, and it takes time and patience to do it. Look at our team [2012 squad]; 80% of us were there since 2005. Of course, a few young guys were there too, like Evans Kangwa, Nathan Sinkala, Joshua Titima, Hichani Himonde, William Njobvu, and Stopilla Sunzu,” he stated.
The former Power Dynamos center-back is, however, optimistic that Zambia will be able to go beyond the group stage in the upcoming tournament, which will kick off on December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco.
Kasonde anchors his belief for a knockout berth on the Chipolopolo getting good preparations in the build-up to the 2025 AFCON that should include friendly matches that will gauge them against the top teams in Africa.
“We can manage to go beyond the group stage only if we prepare well by playing many good friendly games. It goes to the players, too; they need to commit themselves to the game and, most importantly, to play as a team,” he added.
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