Blog

Chipolopolo head coach Avram Grant wants his team to show character heading into the last two 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

The Israeli gaffer feels the team showed character against Chad and wants them to continue when they host the elephants, Ivory Coast and visit Sierra Leone.

The Chipolopolo Boys will host Ivory Coast on November 15 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium at 18h00.

“We came into the games against Chad with a lot of injuries but the team showed a lot of character. We drew here and won there without eight players. We moved to three points ahead of Sierra Leone and of course Cote D’Ivoire is in top spot, they have a good team and only need a point to qualify to AFCON,” Grant said.

“ I think our mission is to finish ahead of Sierra Leone in second place, yes one or two but second place is the most important for us to qualify for the AFCON which is a very good target for us. We showed a lot of character in the last game and I think we need to build on this.”

“We need to be at our best and we will do everything to be at our best both in the first and second game. There is room to improve even I can say but we are on the right path,” he added.

GRANT WISHES THE INJURED PLAYERS WELL

Grant was quick to wish a quick recovery to the injured players including Saudi Arabia based forward Fashion Sakala who sustained a nasty cut to the forehead recently.

When asked about Fashion Sakala he said he had nothing against the former ZANACO striker and wished him a quick recovery as the injury he sustained looked quite serious.

“We still have a lot injuries, Like Patson Daka, long injury but I want to wish well to players that had bad injuries and have done well for the team in the past, like the captain Lubambo Musonda who was fantastic in the games he played, Miguel Chaiwa who got injured here, Edward Chilufya and also to Fashion Sakala who had a very bad injury, I wish them well, to recover and return to normal life soon,” Grant told the ZamFoot Crew.

“I will not talk about this but we need to be human beings. He (Fashion Sakala) played for the national team, he did his best for the national team until he made a mistake.”

“He had a bad injury, I saw the injury. Personally I have nothing against anybody. I like all the players, I love them even when they make mistakes but I need to put them in their place when they make mistakes. I need to keep the harmony in the team”

“He had a bad injury and I really wish him all the best and hope he will recover Well and get back to normal life. He is a strong guy,” he added.

COTE D’IVOIRE MATCH TO BE TOUGH

Grant is alive to the fact that the match against the defending AFCON Champions will not be easy and Zambia will have to work extra hard.

He is however confident that the Copper Bullets can replicate their form from last year that saw them beat Cote D’Ivoire 3-0 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium to qualify for the 2023 AFCON.

“I will not lie to you it is a very tough game, you just need to see the players that came off the bench last game and you see that each one of them is a key player in their team in Europe. Our strength is that we play as a team, the team is more important and we have good players. Yes they don’t play on good teams like them but these players create a good harmony and good team. Last time everyone thought we would lose 3-0 or so. Yes the difference is that we have injuries now but I can’t concentrate on that. I think the players I have called to the team will create a good harmony and that will be our strength,” he said.

“We need to do our best against Cote D’Ivoire. Last year we played against them (Yes all our players were fit) and won despite everyone thinking we would lose. In football anything can happen. I have a lot of respect for Cote D’Ivoire. All their players are key players in their club’s in Europe, and we don’t have players like this but we have a good spirit. We are playing like a team and with this we can achieve a good result. Our target is simple, when the two games are done we would have qualified for AFCON.”

“The game against Cote D’Ivoire is the game I felt the most pressure on because if we did not win, we would have not qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. I think it is the same situation now, we need the points. I always tell my players that pressure is good. Pressure always pushes me to achieve the best, it can push the players. I never ignore the pressure, I love the pressure, I think it pushes me to achieve things. Why do we have pressure now ? Because we want to qualify for the AFCON. If we were bottom of the table with no pressure it would be no fun,” he added.

NOT FOCUSING ON THE HISTORY ON THE HORIZON

Should Zambia qualify to the AFCON, Grant will become the first coach in a long time to guide the 2012 champions to the continental showpiece back to back in a long time.

He is however not focusing on the history and wants to build something strong (a team and structure) for the future.

“I like history but it belongs to history, here we can create another history. This time when we qualify, we learn from the things that happened last time and we will do much better but first we face very tough games, we need to show a lot of character, it’s possible but won’t be easy. I really want to do it back to back and make a good base for the future but for this we need to improve some things,” he said.

“The door is open, You need to show quality, passion and desire to play. Playing for your national team is a privilege. I want to build a character of what will happen when things are not going well or when things are going well as I have seen in Zambia. A player will give a good performance and almost go away but no they need to be consistent. We are working on the mental aspect with this to build something for the present and the future. I always say to the players, give me a good headache.”

DEFENSIVE MISUPS AND INJURIES

Grant says the team needs to do everything to win and can not aim to push for a draw in a game as they don’t have a defence that manages to soak up pressure for a long period in a game.

Grant will be without about five key players due to injuries but he says that’s part of the game and he is concentrating on the matches ahead with the players he has.

“We need to do everything to win, I don’t think we have a team that knows how to defend as a team for a long time. So we need to attack and have a balance. We don’t need to think a point here will be enough for us. Cote D’Ivoire are a proud team and will come here to do everything to win because they know they are the better team on paper but we need that to stay on the paper,” he said.

“If it’s pressure it’s good pressure, of course I want all of them to be fit but what can I do? We need to concentrate as we did in the last games, injuries are part of the game. You can imagine that I am not happy with it but immediately this press conference is over I won’t think about it.”

MY JOB IS TO ALWAYS DO BETTER … LET THE PEOPLE JUDGE

The Former Chelsea boss says the results should speak for him and that he does not take time to rate himself.

The Copper Bullets boss believes there has been an improvement from the past and now with Zambia qualifying to AFCON for the first time in eight years and now on the brink of back to back qualification.

“I never rate myself. In football you can’t please everyone, because everyone is a coach in football. I have 20 million coaches here, In Ghana I had 26 million , In Chelsea I had 2 Billion coaches, so you can’t please everybody because they all have their own opinions. The results speak for themselves. We qualified to AFCON for the first time in eight years and again we are in position to qualify again even with all the difficulties. I think we are on the right track. I give 100 percent in every place I go. It’s part of the game, I have nothing against the people who criticize me. I think if you compare to the years before a lot of improvement, first by qualification and second we have a good team for the future but of course we have a lot to improve,” he said.

“My job is always to do better and convince everybody on and off the pitch that I can do better.”

“First I need to tell you that I don’t read the media, don’t be offended. I concentrate on doing my job, you need to do your job and Sydney needs to do his job, So I don’t know what you are talking about when you speak about criticism and compliments. My compliments are when we achieve our targets and if we have a problem and work on how to solve it. Those that want to criticize me can do that. It’s part of the game and it does not matter whether they are right or not. Even those that criticize don’t have just one opinion, so I am focused on solving the problems we are facing,” he added.

TAKE YOUR CHANCES PLAYERS…ALSO DON’T JUDGE ME BASED ON MY AGE

Grant says he tells his players to take their chances when they come and was pleased with how players stepped up against Chad in the absence of several key players.

He was also quick to remind people to judge him based on his quality and not his age which he feels is an advantage as he has gained a lot of experience.

“I always tell my players that when you have a chance take it. Football you don’t always play with the eleven because you have injuries, suspension etc. This is what football is about, players need to get the chance and show that they can contribute, I think they did a good job. When the injured players come back it will be good competition, I want to have two top players in every position, we are not there yet but we will find a way for this,” he said.

“I was a very young coach around 30, they gave me a chance in the Premier League in my country , they said I was too young and I asked them not to judge me by age but only by my quality. I think my age is a big advantage because I have a lot of passion for football. I’m only here because of the passion, I have done well, me and my family are okay. I came here because I have a passion to give from my experience. I judge myself only by my quality. People will always find a reason to criticise someone.”

DO EVERYTHING TO QUALIFY

Grant says he has told his players to do everything to qualify to the Africa Cup of Nations within the two games they have.

The former Portsmouth coach is also happy with the competition he has among his central defenders.

“I am saying to the players to do everything before the first game. We have two games, they have to do everything to qualify. Yes we can’t win all the games but our target is to win all the games and that’s what we want to do,” he said.

“I have a competition with the centre backs, not a dilemma, Sunzu is back, Frankie Chisenga Musonda is back and the two players (Kabaso Chongo and Tandi Mwape) who played the last games did very well so it’s a competition which I want. It will be a competition and I will decide, I like competition.”

Zambia will host Cote D’Ivoire next Friday and then conclude their 2025 AFCON qualification journey four days later against Sierra Leone.

Zambia are in second spot with seven points two behind the Elephants, Ivory Coast who lead the group with nine points.

Sierra Leone is in third place with four points while Chad lies bottom with two points.

Tickets have since gone on sale with the South and North wings pegged at K50 while the East wing tickets are going at K60. West wing tickets are selling for K150 while VIP tickets have been pegged at K600.