Zambia national football team head coach, Avram Grant, has praised his side’s resilience and character as they continue their quest to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite being hit by a series of injuries.
Speaking at a media briefing at Football House, where he announced his provisional 24-man squad, Grant acknowledged the difficulties posed by injuries to key players but emphasized the impressive performances of those stepping in.
The Chipolopolo will face Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone in crucial back-to-back matches this month, and Grant remains hopeful that his team can secure the points needed for qualification.
“We know we have difficulties with missing players, but we have shown a lot of character in the last game.
We need to build on this,” said Grant. “We need to be at our best in both games, and we will do everything to achieve that.”
Zambia will be without a number of influential players, including Patson Daka, team captain Lubambo Musonda, Kingstone Mutandwa, Edward Chilufya, Miguel Chaiwa, and Fashion Sakala, who suffered a head injury during a league match in Saudi Arabia.
Grant expressed his well wishes for Sakala’s recovery, highlighting the importance of having all players fit and available.
“The players who have stepped up in place of the injured ones have shown great character,” Grant added. “We have room to improve, but we are heading in the right direction.”
Looking ahead to Zambia’s games against Ivory Coast on November 15 in Ndola and Sierra Leone four days later in Monrovia, Grant emphasized that the team could not afford to take any match lightly.
Zambia currently sits second in Group G with seven points, two behind leaders Ivory Coast, while Sierra Leone occupies third with four points.
The top two teams from the group will secure qualification for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Grant is determined not to rely solely on the Sierra Leone fixture to secure Zambia’s qualification. “We cannot say we will give up against Ivory Coast and focus only on Sierra Leone.
We need to do our best against Ivory Coast as well,” he said. “We played well against them last year, and in football, anything can happen.”
Although Zambia faces an uphill task against the star-studded Ivory Coast squad, Grant is confident that his team’s collective spirit will give them the best chance to achieve a positive result.
“I have a lot of respect for Ivory Coast, and all their players are key for teams in Europe.
We may not have such players, but we have the spirit, and we play as a team. With this, we can achieve a good result,” he explained.
Grant also reflected on the pressure his team faced in previous encounters, noting the significance of the upcoming games in securing Zambia’s return to the AFCON for the second consecutive tournament.
The veteran coach also addressed the criticism he has faced over the years, especially regarding his age. “When I was younger, I was told I was too young to coach at the highest level.
I was always judged by my age, not by my quality,” he said. “But age is an advantage in football. I have passion, and that’s why I am here, to share my experience with the players.”
Zambia’s chances of qualification will depend heavily on their results against Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, with Grant’s leadership guiding the Chipolopolo through this critical stage.
