Zambia national team assistant coach Perry Mutapa says the Chipolopolo will make several changes to the lineup when they face Angola this evening in an international friendly match scheduled for 17:00 in Luanda.

The game comes just three days after Zambia’s 3-1 defeat to South Africa, and Mutapa believes today’s clash offers the team a chance to bounce back and fine-tune preparations ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Mutapa confirmed that players who did not feature against Bafana Bafana will be given an opportunity, as the technical bench continues to assess combinations and overall readiness.

“For us it’s a good preparation for the AFCON. It’s a new technical team; of course, there are some new players, so we would like to see a lot of combinations. We played a game on Saturday against South Africa, which we lost, but we are here again for another mission. We want everyone to have a feel. So from the team we played on Saturday, maybe two or three remain in the starting lineup, and we want to do well at the Africa Cup. So this is good preparation for us.”

We have a game plan – Mutapa

Mutapa also praised the match venue, saying the atmosphere will be ideal for the players.

“Fantastic. It gives you that atmosphere because I think the stands are near to the actual pitch where the guys perform. So excellent — for me it’s a wonderful pitch, a wonderful stadium to play.”

Mutapa acknowledged Angola’s strengths but stressed the importance of Zambia maximizing its own qualities.

“Of course Angola is skilled physically; Angolans, I think… So we have a game plan and for us the most important thing is to use our strength because in terms of skill and physical stature Angola we can say they are better than us. So in this game I think tactically we must be on top and make sure we are at our best and try to control the tempo of the game. For us possession matters and in transition we must be quick.”

Zambia is in Group A at the 2025 AFCON alongside hosts Morocco, Comoros, and Mali. Today’s match forms part of the final phase of preparations before the team travels for the continental tournament next month.

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