Goals from the fully famed front three of Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala, and Lameck Banda were enough for the Copper Bullets to get the better of the Red Devils on Friday.
Bolanews rates the performances of the Zambian team in their first qualifier on the road to the 2026 showpiece.
GOALKEEPERS
Francis Mwansa (6/10): The Green Buffaloes shot-stopper was not given enough protection during the match. He was still able to produce a number of decent saves to stop the Congolese attack.
DEFENDERS
Benedict Chepeshi (6/10): Chepeshi struggled to keep up with the wing play of the opposition attack in the first half, but was still able to make some vital clearances.
Stopilla Sunzu (7/10): The 2012 AFCON winner made the most of his big frame. He produced some critical clearances in the Chipolopolo box.
Dominic Chanda (7/10): Chanda has not been disappointed in his role as a stand-in for Scottish-based defender Frankie Musonda. He has put up some decent performances at the back since assuming the role of a starter.
Roderick Kabwe (5/10): Kabwe did not really live up to the billing of the Chipolopolo captain’s armband as he gave away a goal to the Congolese in the first half.
MIDFIELDERS
Benson Sakala (6/10): Sakala set the tempo for the contest when he fashioned a thunderbolt from range in the second minute, which just went wide. The midfielder should have found his midfield partners much more often than he did on the night.
Emmanuel Banda (7/10): The midfield general delivered a pitch-perfect ball for Patson Daka’s goal in the fifth minute of the match.
Kings Kangwa (7/10): He turned up in the second half after a quiet first-half display to orchestrate some vital pass combinations that led to the Copper Bullets’ second-half dominance.
FORWARDS
Lameck Banda (9/10): The Italian Serie A man made the most of his starting berth as he grabbed a goal and assisted. After rinsing his marker in the first half to score the equalizer, the winger delivered a picture-perfect ball for Fashion Sakala.
Fashion Sakala (8/10): After being denied a stunning goal in the first half by an offside call, Sakala put the dagger into Congolese hearts by scoring the winner. The Al Fayha forward also found Daka late on to make it 4-2 for the Copper Bullets.
Patson Daka (9/10): Once the man gets into his national team jersey, there is no stopping him. Daka got the Chipolopolo’s FIFA World Cup qualification off to a perfect start with a brace against the Red Devils.
SUBSTITUTES:
Clatous Chota Chama (6/10): The Tanzanian-based playmaker’s introduction just after the hour mark saw the Chipolopolo gain more control in the midfield to win the match.
Edward Chilufya (7/10): He created a big chance for Daka before the Leicester City man fluffed his lines. The winger was denied his first goal for the Chipolopolo by the upright.
Golden Mafwenta (N/A): The youngster was introduced late on to see off the victory for the Zambian national team in their bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
COACH
Avram Grant (8/10): Fresh from getting the Zambian national team to their first AFCON in eight years, Grant is on a mission to fire the Copper Bullets to their first FIFA World Cup. The Israeli gaffer responded to an abysmal first-half display to encourage the Chipolopolo to come firing on all cylinders in the second proceeding.
