For years, we have longed to see Zambia compete at the FIFA World Cup. Our hopes soared when FIFA revealed that the tournament would be expanded from 32 to 48 teams.

However, after Tuesday’s loss to Tanzania, it is with a heavy heart that we must acknowledge a disheartening reality: Zambia will not be on the biggest stage in football in 2026.

After a run of one win and three straight losses, Chipolopolo find themselves between the proverbial rock and hard places, with three points from a possible 12.

To qualify, the team needs to top the group, which sees Morocco leading the pack with nine points, Tanzania sitting second with six, and Niger on par with Chipolopolo on three. Congo Brazzaville is at the bottom, with zero.

With four matches left to play, there is no way Avram Grant’s Chipolopolo will topple Morocco and make it to the World Cup as Group E winners. Thankfully, Grant is alive to this fact.

“We know that the chances to go to the World Cup [are] not big because of our group…For the first place I think it will be difficult,” Grant said after the game.

Can Zambia finish second and qualify?

Grant went on to paint an optimistic picture, something that we don’t think even himself believes.

“We will continue to fight for the World Cup, the second place we have four games, if we take all the points, anything can happen. We can be in the play-off and it is achievable; we can do that,” he said.

For the uninitiated, the African series of the World Cup Qualifiers has nine groups; out of each group, the winner will qualify for the World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will compete in a playoff.

The winner of the play-off will then advance to an intercontinental play-off featuring six teams from all continents but Europe. The two teams that reach the final of this play-off will qualify for the World Cup.

After blowing the chance to qualify using a more straightforward route of topping the group, Grant is now banking on this complicated course.

To begin with, Zambia is not even in the equation of the four best second-placed teams. The task is for them to get the second slot in Group E. Even then, our haul must be better than that of five other second-placed teams.

Well, we are as good as done!

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