Zambia’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) left a bitter taste for players. But will the Chipolopolo use that disappointment to propel them in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers?
Avram Grant is already looking ahead, with Zambia’s World Cup qualifying campaign resuming in June. Chipolopolo have a date against Morocco on June 5, followed by a home fixture against Tanzania three days later.
These two matches are crucial for Chipolopolo’s maiden World Cup qualification hopes.
Currently, Zambia finds itself in second place in Group E with three points, tied with leaders Morocco, who have a game in hand. Tanzania also sits on three points, as do Niger and Congo, which are at the bottom with no point. With only one team qualifying from the group, the upcoming fixtures hold massive weight for Zambia’s World Cup dreams.
Interestingly, Zambia faced both of these teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, failing to register a win. They drew against Tanzania and fell short to Morocco. Zambia will be eager to rectify their AFCON performance against familiar foes.
“We take a lot of positives from these dissatisfaction results,” midfielder Emmanuel Banda said, hinting at better showings for upcoming engagements.
Indeed, the team needs to channel their AFCON frustration into a steely determination for the upcoming qualifiers. A positive outcome against Morocco and Tanzania would put Zambia in a strong position to challenge for the group’s top spot.
Can Zambia overcome their AFCON disappointment and reignite their World Cup qualification dream? Only time will tell, but the upcoming June fixtures will be a crucial test for Chipolopolo’s resolve.
It would encourage you that the team takes part in a four-nation friendly tournament during the international break to ensure that they are in shape for the two fixtures.
Chipolopolo will be in Lilongwe, Malawi, between March 19 and 26, joined by Kenya and Zimbabwe.
“The ball is in the technical bench’s court to decide how they will utilize this opportunity to prepare. We are mindful that this window is the final one before the June round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers where we play Morocco and Tanzania,” FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said on Monday, “We believe that other than regional solidarity, it will provide the competitive edge typical of neighbourliness to help us prepare.”
Meanwhile, our opponents will be equally busy during that period.
Tanzania is a beneficiary of the new FIFA Intercontinental friendly series. The Taifa Stars will travel to Azerbaijan to play Bulgaria and Mongolia on March 22 and 25, respectively.
Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, face Angola and Mauritania in Agadir on March 22 and 24 respectively.
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