The Chipolopolo will host Burundi in their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on 13 November after plans to move the fixture to Lusaka fell through.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has confirmed that the senior national team will retain Ndola as its home base for the encounter, while the Zambia Under-23 side has secured approval to host Burkina Faso at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on 15 November.
FAZ General Secretary Charles Chakatazya announced the confirmed venues on Tuesday, 3 November, following consultations with the relevant stakeholders and approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the U23 fixture.
Chakatazya said efforts to relocate the Chipolopolo’s match against Burundi to Heroes Stadium were unsuccessful because of the tight deadlines attached to meeting the conditions for venue approval.
“On the Chipolopolo, we were unable to secure the change of venue given the tight deadlines to fulfil the conditional approval. Our 13 November home match against Burundi will therefore be in Ndola,” Chakatazya said.
He, however, expressed optimism that the senior national team would return to its Lusaka base in the near future.
The confirmation of the U23 fixture at Heroes Stadium marks a significant step towards the return of international football to the capital after CAF approved the venue for the Egypt 2027 U23 AFCON qualifier.
“We are happy that the U23 match opens the way to the return of international matches to Lusaka,” Chakatazya added.
The Chipolopolo will face Burundi in Ndola on 13 November before travelling to Bujumbura for the return fixture four days later.
Meanwhile, the U23 side will travel to Ouagadougou for the first leg against Burkina Faso on 11 November before hosting the West Africans in Lusaka on 15 November.
FAZ says preparations for both assignments are underway and has urged supporters to turn out in numbers to back the national teams.
The association has also encouraged fans to purchase tickets through Computicket as it seeks to maximise home advantage in both encounters.
The U23 AFCON qualifiers are part of the qualification pathway to the 2027 tournament in Egypt, which will also serve as a route to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The 14 teams that advance from the second round will progress to the decisive third round, where seven two-legged ties will determine the sides joining hosts Egypt at the finals.
The top two or three finishers at the U23 AFCON will earn qualification for the LA28 Olympic Games.
