The Chipolopolo Boys will be in action tomorrow as they welcome the Elephants, Ivory Coast at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in a penultimate 2025 AFCON qualifier.
Coach Avram Grant will unfortunately be without eight players due to injuries after Joshua ‘Budo’ Mutale limped off during Monday’s training session.
The Simba SC midfielder has since been ruled out of the two Group G matches against Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone due to the same injury.
Apart from Mutale, The Chipolopolo Boys will also be without Miguel Chaiwa who suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle during last month’s goalless draw with Chad.
Daka is yet to fully recover from the injury he suffered during Leicester City’s final preseason friendly match which has kept out of action since August.
Lameck Banda missed the back to back matches against Chad and will again be missing as Zambia take on Ivory Coast on Friday.
Banda left the pitch with an injury after 20 minutes at the Stadio via del Mare in Lecce’s home fixture against Empoli.
Coach Luca Gotti was forced to make a change in the 20th minute replacing the Zambian international with Santiago Pierotti after he failed to continue.
Banda who is carrying a niggling injury travelled to Ndola with the medics confirming that he was not fully recovered to participate in the two matches.
Edward Chilufya meanwhile continues on his recovery path from a groin injury and will miss out.
Skipper Lubambo Musonda recently had a successful surgery and continues to recover after suffering a torn tendon in the adductor area.
Cagliari striker Kingstone Mutandwa was not even released by his club as he is undergoing medical rehabilitation.
Saudi Arabia based forward Fashion Sakala is also recovering from a head injury that saw him get 18 stitches after a nasty collision with a goalkeeper.
The Chipolopolo host Cote d’Ivoire on Friday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola at 18:00 hours.
Tickets for the match are selling via Computicket in all Shoprite outlets with the prices being K50 (North & South), K60 (East), K150 (West) and K600 (VIP).
Cote d’Ivoire top Group G on nine points while Zambia is second on seven points with Sierra Leone third on five points. Chad are at the bottom on three points.
The number of our team members is just too big.8 is almost the whole team..How possible is it that we can win this game ?The cotch needs to be sure of what he is asurering the people. Not just to talk for the sake of talking. Why can’t we have another corch and have this current coach rest ?He is a good coach quit alright but the age is not allowing him to continue coaching our boys.
We pray and hope all goes well to everything they is a reason for the National team who will be playing today’s game I wish you guys with the spirit of winning I believe you can don’t it. All the Best
Just quickly lose, we are now used, NO more high blood pressure, cause the outcome is known