African Underdogs holding AFCON Giants by their Horns, Zambia has a chance

By Kalata News,

LUSAKA, 16/01/24 – THE 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) is proving to be unpredictable, serving us matches that have clearly torn pre-match scripts to shreds, going by some giant killing acts so far.

Cape Verde’s last gasp victory over former champions Ghana, who start every AFCON as co-favourites and Egypt needing a stoppage time Mo Salah penalty to spare the blushes of the 7-time winners is just a fraction of the storyline.

The euphoria about the teams’ arrivals in Ivory Coast in traditional attire settled down, it was down to serious football business and Ghana’s Kente outfits were just but a distant memory when the tiny islanders, Cape Verde stunned them.

The mighty Algeria could only manage a 1-1 draw against little fancied Angola, Nigeria too was taken to the brink by Equatorial Guinea in a 1-1 draw while 10-man Guinea held Cameroun to a similar stalemate.

The daggers are now drawn, time for the underdogs to stake their claim.

Little wonder Zambia’s return to the biennial soccer showpiece after an eight-year hiatus has everyone struggling on which side to place the Chipolopolo between the proverbial David or Goliath.
Prior to taking the bow in Ivory Coast, Zambia’s last participation was in Equatorial Guinea in 2015 and sat out the 2017, 2019 and 2021 editions in Gabon, Egypt and Cameroon, respectively.

Against neighbours Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a Group F opener in San Pedro, Chipolopolo come up against an assemblage of almost foreign based players.

Most of the members of the Leopards squad cut their footballing teeth playing in reserve leagues in either Belgium, in some semblance of a silver lining about the dark cloud of colonialism.

Where the Chipolopolo squad lack a figurehead in the mould of Kalusha Bwalya, they make up with an almost 10-year camaraderie from players who started out together in 2010 Airtel rising Stars that culminated into the lifting of the 2017 under-20 AfCON on home soil.

So they may be making their debut at the AfCON proper but Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala, Edward Chilufya and Emmanuel Banda know a thing or two about winning a continental crown, albeit at junior level.

That coupled with Stopilla Sunzu the only surviving member of the 2012 AFCON winning squad, provides the much-needed experience to shore off the likes of teenager Migel Chaiwa of Swiss league side Young Boys.

The Congolese also have Meshack Elia, Chaiwa’s teammate at Young Boys in their ranks should coach Sebastien Desabre call on him in the opener.

Congolese defender Inonga Baka will provide another side when he squares off against his Simba SC teammate Cletus Chama Chota with whom they carry the flag of the Tanzanian champions.

In the dug-out, Zambia gaffer Avram Grant will be making a second attempt at AFCON glory after finishing fourth as coach of Ghana’s Back Stars at the 2017 edition.

Desabre too returns to the AFCON fold having led Uganda to the 2019 edition at which the Cranes defeated his current employers Congo DR enroute to a knock out stage elimination at the hands of Senegal.

This will arguably be the youngest ever squad assembled by Zambia but the players have already had to carry the soccer-loving nation on their broad shoulders for some time already.

Fashion Sakala, who only recently swapped Glasgow Rangers in Scotland for the Saudi Pro League has a chance to light up the tournament and show that he is keeping the good company in the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane.

Fashion is among the global stars that headlined the mass exodus to the Middle East country in what critics described as “sports washing” aimed at distracting people from its poor human rights record.

After facing the Leopards, the Chipolopolo will also face another neighbour, Tanzania, on January 21 before wrapping up the group stage against North African giants Morocco on January 24.

The superlatives have been exhausted in describing how potent the Chipolopolo frontline is, the real Achilles heel is in defence where Sunzu has lost a yard of pace and is no longer the towering figure that scared strikers in 2012.

It doesn’t help that his probable defence partner Frankie Musonda is also not the fastest player but makes up with a good awareness and aerial presence.

Of the three goalkeepers carried to San Pedro, Francis Mwansa is the least experienced and his howler against Congo Brazzaville is more recent compared to Toaster Nsabata’s gaffe against Lesotho in the qualifiers.

Between the two calamitous net minders, the experience of Nsabata would be more telling over the Green Buffaloes youngster but Grant could go for the safer option of Lawrence Mulenga.

By the time they take to the turf against the Atlas Lions, the picture will be clearer as to whether the Chipolopolo would be getting on the next flight to Lusaka or will be staying on in Ivory Coast for the knock out stage.