The Zambia Under-17 Boys’ National Team came from behind to secure an impressive 3–1 victory over Mexico in a friendly match played behind closed doors at the Al Hamriya Cultural and Sports Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
After conceding in the 25th minute, Abel Salim Nyirongo equalized from the penalty spot before captain Jonathan Kalimina fired home a free kick to give Zambia the lead late in the game. Substitute Robert “Sugar” Banda then sealed the win with a solo effort in stoppage time.
Speaking after the match, head coach Dennis Makinka said the encounter provided valuable lessons as his side prepares for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, where Zambia will face Brazil, Indonesia, and Honduras in Group H.
“I think when we started the game, we started with a low block. After we saw how they were playing, of course, we gave them a cheap goal because I thought that was not even supposed to reach the penalty area. But yeah, it happened. We told the boys, ‘Let’s just stay calm, let’s stick to our plan.’ We came with a plan and it worked,” he said.
Makinka continued: “Great improvement apart from that error that led to the goal. Maybe they had two shots on target because we did very well defensively. The balancing was excellent from the boys. I’m so happy we started defending from up front. The defensive organization as a team was wonderful — very, very nice, just like we planned.”
Makinka added that the match gave Zambia a glimpse of what to expect from their upcoming opponents, especially Brazil.
“Their physique, their pace, their skill — it’s a Brazilian type of play, so for me, not just the result, I’m happy with how we were organizing ourselves in transitions when we lost the ball and when we won it.
“When you win, people think there were no mistakes, but no. We need to quicken our build-up from defense to midfield to attack so that we can finish the action.”
Zambia will open their FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 campaign on November 4 against Indonesia, before facing Honduras on November 7 and Brazil on November 10.
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