Chipolopolo in limbo as Zambia sack Avram Grant just days before AFCON 2025

Zambia’s preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have been thrown into disarray following the Football Association of Zambia’s (FAZ) decision to part ways with head coach Avram Grant, barely weeks before the continental showpiece kicks off in Morocco.

The 70-year-old Israeli tactician’s two-year tenure came to an abrupt end after what FAZ described as a “mutual agreement” to terminate his contract.

The decision, announced on Tuesday, has left the Chipolopolo without a head coach at a crucial stage of their AFCON build-up, creating uncertainty around the team’s readiness and direction.

Grant, appointed in December 2022, oversaw a period of renewed continental presence for Zambia, guiding the 2012 African champions to back-to-back AFCON qualifications – first for Ivory Coast 2023, and then for Morocco 2026.

His appointment had reignited hope among Zambian fans after years of missing out on Africa’s biggest football stage.

However, despite those qualification successes, cracks began to show.

Zambia’s early exit at the 2023 AFCON, combined with inconsistent results in World Cup qualifiers and a disappointing CHAN campaign, raised questions about the team’s progress.

Reports of internal tension and growing dissatisfaction from both fans and FAZ officials only added to the pressure surrounding Grant’s leadership.

With Zambia drawn in a difficult Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Mali, and Comoros, the timing of Grant’s departure could hardly be worse.

The Chipolopolo now face the daunting task of regrouping and finding stability under a yet-to-be-named interim coach – with less than a month to fine-tune preparations for the tournament.

FAZ General Secretary Machacha Shepande insists the decision was necessary “to help chart a new way forward for the Chipolopolo,” but the move risks unsettling a squad that had only just begun to rediscover its competitive identity on the African stage.

For Zambia, the focus now shifts to damage control – rebuilding morale, appointing a competent replacement swiftly, and ensuring the Chipolopolo enter AFCON 2025 with unity and purpose.

Whether this bold decision rejuvenates the 2012 champions or plunges them deeper into uncertainty will be revealed when the lights shine on Morocco 2025.