Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant says his squad is ready for tomorrow’s Group G Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad.
Speaking during a pre-match conference, Grant said although the team had been hit by injuries ahead of the match, he was confident that the replacements would be good enough.
The gaffer said that he was happy that the team had coped well in the absence of key players and scored some critical goals in the previous match.
“To be honest it is not easy, all the five Patson (Daka), Sunzu (Stoppilla), Lubambo (Musonda), Chilufya (Edward) and Lameck (Banda) were part of us and were in the starting eleven most of the time. It is not easy but it is a fact they are not here and that is why we have a big squad in camp,” Grant said.
“We will not come with less than 11 players, the players that have come have to prove themselves. Just to let you know that in the last game we scored three goals without all the four forwards that brought us to the AFCON after so many years. It gave me a lot of encouragement that we can overcome the problems caused by the absence of the other players.”
Grant said the newbies were up to the task and would be fully supported.
“In the last game we scored three goals without our main strikers that took us to AFCON after a long time. The new players will do well. I cannot guarantee you that they will not make mistakes but I can guarantee that they will give 100%.”
He has called on the fans to fill up the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium as they have done before in the last few matches.
“I can say only this from the bottom of my heart, it was very touching to see the supporters here (Ndola). How they support us, how they push us, it is really one of the great places that I have been to, and I have been to many places,” Grant said.
“I can assure that the preparation on the pitch was good, I am not speaking off the pitch because that is not my area. I am talking about all the games, I hope that they can be here and be the 12th player and support us.”
The Chipolopolo host the Les Sao tomorrow (Friday) at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium at 15:00 hours.
Tickets for the match are selling across Shoprite outlets via Computicket with prices pegged at K40 (North&South), K50 (East), K150 (West) and K500 (VIP).
CRY FOR PARTICULARLY EDWARD CHILUFYA AND LAMECK BANDA. AND SOMEHOW PATSON DAKA. AS FOR STOPILLA AND LUBAMBO , ZAMBIA DEFENCE HAS BEEN THE WEAKEST WITH THEM AROUND . THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF ESCORTING ENEMY STRIKES INTO THEIR OWN GOAL. IT SEEMS THEY NEVER LEARNT ANYTHING FROM THE LIKES OF KAPAMBWE MULENGA , ELIJAH ITANA AND MAKWAZA SENIOR. THEY LITERALLY FAIL TO STOP A BALL ENTERING THEIR GOAL AREA AS THERE ARE SEEN JUMPING OVER IT. FAIL TO DEAL WITH ENEMY WINGERS RIGHT IN THE CORNER BEFORE THEY CROSS THE BALL.(the football historian from Malawi).
Grant must leave the job is just big for him in this era football is about tactics not players Zambia has a lot of good players but the coach is the current problem we have must leave please