Zambia’s 2012 AFCON-winning goalkeeper, Kennedy Mweene, has predicted an outright victory for the Chipolopolo Boys against Congo Brazzaville this Friday.
Mweene, who was speaking on the special BolaNews Live Chat today, believes victory over Congo Brazzaville will put the Copper Bullets in a commanding position heading into the game against Niger.
“The most important thing is not to start with a loss [against Congo Brazzaville]. We are at home; we need to be smart,” he said.
Mweene added that the team shouldn’t underestimate its opponents considering Zambia’s historical dominance over the Red Devils.
In the last six games, the Copper Bullets have beaten Congo four times with two draws while the Red Devils’ last win over the Chipolopolo was a 1-0 win back in 1996 during the same competition.
“I hope the technical bench has done their homework. They [Congo Brazzaville] have a couple of professional players,” Mweene stated.
“You have to be mentally strong,” Mweene tells Chipolopolo Boys
The Mamelodi Sundowns assistant goalkeeper coach also joined the debate on Avram Grant’s squad selection, urging those left out to continue working hard.
“You have to be mentally strong and the coach only had 25 players to pick. The most important thing is persistence and having a positive mind,” he said.
Grant has, however, made it clear what it takes to make it into his squad.
READ MORE: Grant reveals that three Chipolopolo players did not show desire to play for Zambia
“They need to show the desire to play for the national team. I will not compromise on this; this is a national team, and they need to be proud to wear the national shirt,” said Grant.
The game, scheduled for this Friday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, will be Zambia’s first 2026 World Cup qualifier before facing Niger three days later in Morocco.
