Following the release of the pots by FIFA, Zambia now has an idea of who they might meet in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Zambia is in Pot 2 and may meet Ivory Coast again in the qualification campaign.
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali are all possible opponents for the Chipolopolo Boys in the qualifiers that will kick off in November this year.
The draw is set for July 12 and will determine the groups for the qualifying campaign leading up to the tournament in 2026 which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
FIFA put the countries into six pots depending on their most recent world ranking. Zambia is ranked 17th in Africa and failed to make it into Pot 1.
There will be nine groups, with the winners of each group qualifying for the showpiece, while the four best runners-up will fight in a mini-tournament for a spot in an intercontinental playoff for a place in the World Cup.
BELOW ARE ALL THE POTS
Pot 1: Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ivory Coast
Pot 2: Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
Pot 3: Angola, Benin, Kenya, Mauritania, Congo, Uganda, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, Namibia
Pot 4: Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Malawi, Libya
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Pot 5: Niger, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Botswana, Liberia
Pot 6: Lesotho, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, Sao Tome, Djibouti, Seychelles, Eritrea, Somalia
