By Mubukwanu Kaingu
Chad coach Kevin Nicaise says the pressure is not on his side but on Chipolopolo Zambia who have a reputation to maintain and must beat his team this afternoon at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Chipolopolo hosts Chad on match day three of the 2025 AFCON Group G qualifiers.
Nicaise described the October Group G double-header against Zambia whom they will host in Yaounde Cameroon in their final leg on Tuesday as the pivotal point in the qualifiers.
Chipolopolo heads into the game second in Group G with 3 points from two games after beating Sierra Leone 3-2 on September 10 at Levy just four days after losing 2-0 away to Ivory Coast on September 6.
Ivory Coast leads on a maximum of 6 points while Chad and Sierra Leone have 1 point each with the latter away to The Elephants in San Pedro this evening at 21h00.
“Even with 1 point out of a possible 6 points, we are still in the qualifying race so anything can happen in the next five days. It is going to be decisive for both teams,” Nicaise said during Thursday’s pre-match briefing at Levy Stadium.
“And I think that Zambia has more pressure than us because if they don’t win against Chad, it’s a shame.
“Let’s be honest. So we are here to fight to the end and hope we can get a result.”
But Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant, who was gagged from talking about the player boycott of training on Tuesday and Wednesday over their dues, said pressure is a healthy element for any goal-oriented person or group.
“Pressure is fantastic, it is good, it pushes you to do something. Without pressure you can’t achieve anything,” Grant said.
“But pressure is not about luck. I don’t want to speak of the Chad coach badly but we will talk on the pitch.”
But Grant admitted the loss of four key players due to injury is a challenge.
Edward Chilufya, Stopilla Sunzu and Lameck Banda have joined long-term absentee Patson Daka on the injury list.
One has to also count Fashion Sakala whom Grant banished from the team following his attack on the Chipolopolo coach.
Meanwhile, victory this afternoon would keep Chipolopolo in the top two heading into next Tuesday’s return leg in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Chipolopolo must collect maximum points over the next two games to take into the final round of matches in November at home against Ivory Coast and away to Sierra Leone.
This is Zambia and Chad’s third meeting and interestingly their first two were also in an AFCON qualifier.
Zambia won the first leg away 2-0 in Ndjamena on September 3, 2006 and drew 1-1 at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe on June 16, 2007.
