The Zambian national football team will lock horns with Lesotho in the 2023 COSAFA Cup final this Sunday in Durban.
En route to the final, the Copper Bullets recovered from a defeat to Malawi by securing three crucial wins against Comoros, Seychelles, and South Africa. On the other hand, the Crocodiles booted Malawi out of the competition. They topped Group C ahead of Angola, Mozambique, and Mauritius.
The two nations will be rubbing shoulders for the third time this year, with Zambia having beaten Lesotho twice in March’s AFCON qualifiers.
It’s a match that promises to be historic and much more for the Chipolopolo, as they could potentially break a couple of records on Sunday.
Bolanews looks at five records that the Zambian national team could set during the 2023 COSAFA Cup final.
1. Most COSAFA Cup titles
No team has won more COSAFA Cup titles than the Copper Bullets in the history of the competition. However, they could go one better on Sunday and move ahead of Zimbabwe, with whom they share a record of six titles. If Chipolopolo comes out victorious against Lesotho in the final, it will be their seventh COSAFA Cup title.
2. Double back-to-back glory
Defending the COSAFA Cup title hasn’t come easy over the years. Zambia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are the only countries to win back-to-back COSAFA Cup titles since its inception in 1997. The first country to do so was Zambia in 1998 when they defended their inaugural title, followed by South Africa in 2008. And the last team to win back-to-back titles was Zimbabwe in 2018. The Copper Bullets could step into a galaxy of their own by winning back-to-back COSAFA titles for the second time, mimicking their triumphs in 1997 and 1998.
3. The greatest comeback ever
After the Flames handed Zambia the bitter taste of defeat in their first game of Group B, many fans and pundits had written off the Chipolopolo’s title chances. There is no country in the history of COSAFA that managed to win the title after losing their first game. The 2012 AFCON winners can etch themselves into Southern African history should they be crowned champions in Durban.
4. Most decorated nation in Southern Africa
The Copper Bullets will become the first Southern African nation to win 10 major honors if they defend the COSAFA Cup. Alongside the 2012 AFCON title, Zambia already has six COSAFA Cups and two CECAFA titles to their name. That currently puts them at nine titles, ahead of South Africa and Zimbabwe, both on seven.
5. Most appearances in COSAFA Cup final
Zambia is no stranger to playing in big games. In 2012, it was Ivory Coast that fell victim to the resilience of the Chipolopolo in the AFCON final. The Copper Bullets not only hold the record for the most COSAFA Cup wins but also that of the most runners-up finishes (six). The defending champions will step into a COSAFA Cup final for an unprecedented 13th time overall.
