Zambia National Team striker Fashion Sakala has disclosed that coach Avram Grant is serious about his three golden rules: passion, desire, and quality.
Grant, who has yet to lose a competitive match with the Chipolopolo Boys since his appointment in December last year, stated that he will not budge from the standard he has set for the national team.
“I will not compromise about this [Passion, Desire, and Quality]; this is a national team, and they need to be proud to wear the national shirt,” said the former Chelsea gaffer.
Sakala, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al Fayha in the last transfer window, has since confirmed that everyone in the Chipolopolo camp is making sure they adhere to the coach’s golden rules to secure their spot in the team.
“That’s the most important thing; for him, he is always looking for desire; he is always looking for hard work and you can see some of the players are not here because the coach is always talking about passion and desire,” he said during a press conference in Ndola on Thursday.
“I am confident; we are ready for Congo”- Sakala
Sakala also stated that the Chipolopolo Boys are ready to die a little for Zambia when they take on Congo Brazzaville tomorrow in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“I think this [qualifying for the World Cup] is a dream that almost every Zambian wants to see and I am very confident that the team is prepared; we are ready to fight for the points
“We will keep fighting and hopefully, we will qualify for the first time,” he said.
The Al Fayha star has this season netted six goals, provided two assists in the Saudi Pro League and scored two international goals this year in five matches.
Meanwhile, in the last six games, the Copper Bullets have beaten Congo four times with two draws, while the Red Devils’ last win was a 1-0 win back in 1996 during the same competition.
READ MORE: Grant reveals that three Chipolopolo players did not show desire to play for Zambia
After Friday’s game, Zambia will travel to Morocco for a clash with Niger three days later for their second Group E match in the qualifiers.
Other teams in the group include the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinalists Morocco and Tanzania, while Eritrea has withdrawn citing financial difficulties in fulfilling fixtures.
