The Chipolopolo qualified to the group stage unscathed after they easily brushed a challenge from Sudan with wins home and away via a 3 – 0 aggregate scoreline with Winstone Kalengo scoring two of the goals while Lubambo Musonda scored the other goal when Zambia won 2 – 0 at home.
Zambia is now at the stage of the big boys and the Chipolopolo today host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Ndola.
The two teams have met 16 times with Nigeria having an edge of the Chipolopolo in recent times though the encounters have always been close. Nigeria has won 6 of these games with Zambia winning 5 while the rest have been drws.
The two teams first in 1974 with Zambia winning convincingly by a 5 – 1 scoreline in an African Cup of Nations qualifier played in Lusaka on July 15, 1973. Nigeria won the reverse fixture 3 – 2.
Zambia walloped Nigeria 5-1 in the first –ever encounter, a 1974 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Lusaka on July 15, 1973. Nigeria’s 3-2 win in the return leg in Lagos two weeks later was of no effect.
Zambia then went to dominate over the Nigerians until the memorable 1994 Africa Cup of Nations final when Zambia lost 2 – 1 Tunisia just after the Gabon disaster.
Zambia has not beaten Nigeria since marking a period over 31 years with Zambia again losing on penalties in the 2010 quarter final of the Africa Cup of Nations, a game the Chipolopolo dominated.
But today will be the first time the two teams meet in a World Cup qualifier match.
Both teams missed out on the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and come into the match with some questionable form.
Nigeria have played 8 times this year winning only four times with two losses.
Zambia have an even worse record of playing 13 games and winning only 3 of those, 5 of those being draws.
But with a new tactician in Wedson Nyirenda, Zambia has renewed hope and what a platform to announce the revival with a game against Nigeria.
Previous Encounters between the two teams
15 July 1973: Zambia 5 Nigeria 1 (Lusaka, AFCON Qualifier)
29 July 1973: Nigeria 3 Zambia 2 (Lagos, AFCON Qualifier)
10 March 1978: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 (Accra, Africa Cup of Nations)
25 July 1981: Zambia 3 Nigeria 0 (Lusaka, International friendly)
13 March 1982: Nigeria 0 Zambia 3 (Benghazi, AFCON)
10 August 1985: Nigeria 0 Zambia 0 (Lagos, AFCON Qualifier)
18 August 1985: Zambia 1 Nigeria 0 (Lusaka, AFCON Qualifier)
12 March 1990: Nigeria 2 Zambia 0 (Annaba, AFCON)
10 April 1994: Nigeria 2 Zambia 1 (Tunis, AFCON final)
15 December 1997: Zambia 2 Nigeria 0 (Lusaka, International friendly)
17 December 1997: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 (Kitwe, International friendly)
13 January 2001: Nigeria 1 Zambia 0 (Lagos, AFCON Qualifier)
24 March 2001: Zambia 1 Nigeria 1 (Chingola, AFCON Qualifier)
25 January 2010: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 (Lubango, AFCON. Nigeria won 5-4 on penalties)
15 November 2011: Nigeria 2 Zambia 0 (Kaduna, International friendly)
25 January 2013: Zambia 1 Nigeria 1 (Nelspruit, AFCON
but today it will be a different story the record of Zambia failing to beat Nigeria will be broken today at mwanawasa stadium,go chipolopolo we are not minnows even Nigeria knows that.
Lol so what happened now
Obviously minnows. The class of the two football teams speak for themselves. The quality, exposure and experience too. Nigeria wins today by God’s grace. It’s deserved.
Nigeria has never beaten Zambia at home.
Zambia is going down today no doubt. Zambia 0-2 Nigeria full time.
Dissapointed nigerians
Zambia is winning by 2 goals to 1 . The bullet will hunt down the eagle. Go Zambia Go, let us show them guys.
Am wishing them all the best as they take on cameroon on 12 november