After scoring three goals in two games for the Zambia National Team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Patson Daka became the ninth all-time goal scorer for the Chipolopolo Boys with 18 games in 40 appearances.
He scored two goals against Congo Brazzaville and one against Niger, putting him in second place as the highest goal scorer so far in the World Cup qualifiers with three goals.
Only Liverpool and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah (4) scored more goals than Daka after match days one and two of the qualifiers.
Despite struggling for game time at his English Championship club, Leicester City, having played only one minute in the league, Daka once again demonstrated why Zambians refer to him as the “smiling assassin.”
“He is a very good striker. He scored two goals and has scored in almost every game since I came here. His movement is good. It’s not a secret that he not playing for his club but he is a very good character for us,” said Avram Grant, the former Chelsea manager and current Chipolopolo head coach.
Could Daka ‘s form with Zambia land him a deal with a new club?
Daka’s brilliance in the Zambian shirt is not a surprise, as he finished the Ivory Coast 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with five goals, only behind Napoli and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, who netted ten.
His performances for Zambia could pave the way for the 25-year-old striker to find a new club ahead of the January transfer window.
The former UEFA Champions League Youth Team winner with Red Bull Salzburg’s Youth Team in 2017 is expected to leave Leicester City, a move that will be critical for his career and Zambia’s return to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Daka was on the verge of joining AC Milan or AFC Bournemouth, but both reported deals fell through on deadline day.
Prior to joining Leicester City in 2021, he scored 68 goals in 125 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg, winning the Austrian Bundesliga Golden Boot in 2020-2021.
Daka is also credited as the first Zambian to score in the UEFA Champions League and English Premier League.
Many Zambians will be hoping to see him join a club where he can play regularly as Zambia returns to the Africa Cup after an eight-year absence.
