Back in 2012, Zambia stunned the footballing world when capturing the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations crown. A star-studded Ivory Coast side was seen off in the final, with collective nerves held in a dramatic penalty shootout.
A couple of third-placed finishes had been enjoyed at Afcon events prior to that, but few could have predicted that a trophy duck would be broken in such stunning style.
Some 12 years on and eyebrows continue to be raised as those who witnessed said heroics wonder if they really were dreaming after all.
Unite
The cream of African football is preparing to unite once more in 2024, with a road that leads to Ivorian playing fields having already been successfully trodden by some.
Zambia have their tickets booked and will once again be making the journey to a final under the guise of plucky underdogs. They do not sit among the favourites to emerge triumphant, but they have shown once before that anything is possible.
Support from a passionate local fan base is guaranteed, but there may be others who fancy nailing their colours to that particular mast before a competitive ball is kicked in anger. Anyone planning to do so can take advantage of a 22bet bonus that provides new customers with a welcome offer that could be used to try and separate contenders from pretenders at Afcon when making a first deposit.
Backing Zambia to go all the way will require some lengthy odds to be overlooked, but there are a number of factors working in their favour. An exciting squad includes a number of players currently plying their club trade across Europe, Africa and North America, while they boast vast experience in the dugout.
Former Chelsea, West Ham and Ghana boss Avram Grant is calling the shots, and he has outlined grand plans for his time at the helm. The Israeli has said: “I came here because of the challenge and I hope when I leave here I will look around and say we did a good job and made a good foundation for the future. I think Zambia has the potential, we have set the targets of what we want to achieve.”
The first of those was to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. Job done. The next is to put on a positive show at another continental competition that puts major honours for grabs. Unfortunately, Zambia have been rather “all or nothing” in that department of late.
Medals
Since getting their hands on the ultimate prize in 2012, Zambia have not won an Afcon fixture of note. A forgettable defence of their crown was made in 2013, as they drew all three of their group games, while two defeats were suffered in 2015 before an early packing of bags.
The Zambians have not even made the last three tournaments, with serious regression being endured. There are clearly wrongs to be made right, and it is not the worst thing in the world to have your last success at any given event being one in which medals of the golden variety were collected.
