By Mubukwanu Kaingu
Chipolopolo this evening resume their 2026 FIFA World Cup quest when they visit Morocco in Agadir on match day three of their Group E qualifying campaign.
The match comes six months since the two sides met at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 AFCON in their final Group F fixture in San Pedro.
Morocco won that match 1-0 to advance to the knockout sage while Zambia bowed out from the tournament they had just returned to after a nine-year absence.
Chipolopolo now are back to competitive action this time hoping to keep alive their elusive target of FIFA World Cup qualification in 55 years of heartbreak to book a ticket to the Mundial.
Coach Avram Grant admits that Chipolopolo head into the match as underdogs but added that Zambia had taken some lessons from that AFCON encounter.
“They are very good team but our target was to be a team hard to beat and I think you saw in the game against Morocco at the AFCON. We came close to getting a good result against them,” Grant said.
“I know, at their home ground it will be more difficult, but as I always say if it’s more difficult, you put in more effort, so we will try to do it. We have difficulties but difficulties are part of my job as coach to deal with it.”
Key to Zambia’s objective will be Leicester City striker Patson Daka who has so far scored three goals in two Group E qualifiers including on match day two when Zambia lost 2-1 away to Niger.
That match was also played in Morocco, up north in Marrakesh because Niger’s venues have failed the FIFA stadium tests.
Tonight’s game could see the qualifiers debut for Italian based prospect Kingston Mutwanda.
Mutwanda arrives riding a wave of hype with his one goal in five Serie A appearances for his club Cagliari.
Should Grant gamble on starting Mutwanda with Daka, he has fairly sizeable boots to fill in the absence of Fashion Sakala who remains on a forced exile from Chipolopolo following his modest display at 2023 AFCON.
Chipolopolo are a side struggling for goal scorers where the burden has unfortunately been heavily placed on Daka’s shoulders.
Goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga should start, but away from the observant eye, he has mysteriously missed Power Dynamos last three games of the season.
A fever was the reason the Power bench gave for Mulenga’s absence three games ago on May 17 when the goalkeeper watched from the stands his team clobber Forest Rangers 5-0 in Kitwe.
Grant’s midfield will also be an issue of concern after it limped through in San Pedro and so the jury is still out on Kings Kangwa, Emmanuel Banda and company again against the quality of the Atlas Lions.
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo need a point from this game to avoid the prospect of back to back Group E defeats with Tanzania coming to Ndola in five days time at the midway point of the qualifiers where four teams minus Congo Brazzaville are all tied on 3 points.
