Chipolopolo captain Fashion Sakala says Zambia have the belief and quality to beat Algeria when the two sides meet in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday.
Zambia face Algeria at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 hours Zambian time.
Despite acknowledging the challenge of playing away from home, Sakala said the Chipolopolo are ready to compete for all three points.
“We have a very good team and we’ve been preparing so well for this game,” Sakala said during Thursday’s pre-match press conference.
“I know it will be a very tough game against Algeria. It will be an away game for us. We’ll definitely have very few people in the stadium to support us, but we’ve beaten Algeria before. So we are very much confident.”
Sakala, who made his senior Zambia debut against Algeria, believes that previous victory can provide additional belief ahead of Friday’s encounter.
Zambia defeated Algeria 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Lusaka in 2017, with Sakala recalling the performance as a source of confidence.
“It’s very much possible. I remember my first national team game for the senior team was against Algeria at Heroes Stadium and we destroyed them,” he said.
“This is why I’m very much confident that we can destroy them again at their home ground.”
The Al-Fayha forward also praised the atmosphere within the Zambia camp, saying competition for places has raised the intensity of preparations.
“The performance of the players during training has been amazing. Each and every player is fighting hard, trying to find positions in the first eleven,” he said.
“Even some of the players that will be on the bench are very much ready and excited to get on the pitch.”
‘Our biggest target is to qualify’
Sakala said his message to the squad has centred on focus and the importance of starting the qualifying campaign positively.
Zambia are in Group I alongside Algeria, Togo and Burundi, with the campaign providing a route to the 2027 AFCON finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
“It won’t be an easy game, but we can achieve something big,” Sakala said.
“The biggest dream and the biggest target is to qualify for the Africa Cup. And we can only qualify by winning games. The most important game is the one we are playing against Algeria.”
The captain also believes the absence of several familiar Algeria players could make the hosts less predictable, although he stressed that Zambia are prepared for whoever takes the field.
“Most of the senior players that we knew and were preparing for are not there,” he said.
“We’ve changed a lot of players as well. I’m sure they are not even aware of what we’ll do to them tomorrow. They don’t even know who is going to play, which is a very good thing for us strategically.”
Sakala embraces hostile atmosphere
Rather than seeing a hostile home crowd as a disadvantage, Sakala believes Zambia’s players should use the atmosphere to fuel their performance.
“It should be a motivation when you play against teams like Algeria and you have thousands of people on their side,” he said.
“Football feels good when you have people watching, especially when they are against you. That’s what brings even more courage and confidence to win the game.”
Sakala urged his team-mates to embrace the occasion and treat the crowd as an opportunity rather than a distraction.
“We should turn their crowd to be like ours. We should take that into our advantage and tune our minds and make it look like they are our fans.”
Sakala praises Zambia’s emerging generation
The captain also spoke about the responsibility of helping integrate a new generation of players into the senior national team.
Sakala recalled joining the senior side alongside established figures such as Kenneth Mweene, Christopher Katongo, Rainford Kalaba and Nathan Sinkala.
He said the experience has shaped the way he now approaches his role as captain.
“When I see young players joining the senior national team, it takes me back to my time when I joined the senior team,” he said.
“They welcomed us so well from the Under-20. Looking at these young players joining the national team now, it makes me feel very proud because I know that it’s a new beginning for them.”
Sakala said the younger players must understand the responsibility that comes with representing Zambia.
“You have responsibilities that you need to work hard for,” he said.
“It’s about 20 million Zambians that you are representing. Football is one sport that unites the whole country, and that message needs to be very clear in their heads so they understand the responsibility of wearing the national team jersey.”
With Zambia beginning another campaign for a place at the continent’s biggest international tournament, Sakala insists the squad is focused on one objective.
“The goal is to win the game tomorrow,” he said.
“We are not going there relaxed or scared. We know it will be a tough game. We are preparing our minds to make sure that we go there very focused and fight for the win.”
