Chipolopolo’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as group leaders in a group that had defending champions Ivory Coast has excited former Zambia national team coach Patrice Beaumelle.
Zambia booked a ticket to Morocco with a game to spare when they beat Ivory Coast 1–0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, thanks to a Kennedy Musonda strike on November 15. They rounded it off with a 2–0 win over Sierra Leone in Monrovia, Liberia.
Beaumelle, a big admirer of Chipolopolo since he left the country in 2014, has sent his congratulatory message to Avram Grant’s men.
The French coach worked as a physical trainer when the nation won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and later became the coach in 2013 following the departure of compatriot Herve Renard.
Beaumelle, who manages Algerian side MC Algiers, told SportsBoom.com in an interview that he is impressed by Zambia’s qualification and how Avram Grant’s men achieved it.
“I am very proud of you; you finished on top; you did such good work to win at home and win abroad,” Beaumelle said.
“You are going to the next Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, so I am really happy and proud of you guys. Once Chipolopolo, always Chipolopolo. I love you guys and all the best in Morocco.”
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