Overview:
Zambia qualified for AFCON 2025 as Group G leaders with 13 points, and Patson Daka, Fashion Sikala and Stopilla Sunzu are expected to be the stars of the team.
Nickname: Chipolopolo [The Copper Bullets]
Fifa rank: 90
Afcon Group: A
Head coach: Moses Sichone
Group Stage fixtures: Mali [Dec 22], Comoros [Dec 26], Morocco [Dec 29]
Afcon appearances: 19 [1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2023, 2025]
Best Afcon performance: Champions [2012]
How they qualified: Zambia qualified as Group G leaders ahead of Afcon defending champions Ivory Coast with 13 points.
Despite so, they were not very clinical in front of goal with a mere 7 scored in six matches but were colossus as a rock conceding only 4.
Realistic chance at Afcon 2025: Since winning the title in 2012, they have not performed well and it will be difficult to expect to more this term as well.
With a new coach and several debutants, it will be tough for Chipolopolo to make it out of the group but they are a tournament team that can’t be just written off.
Who is the star of the team? Patson Daka will surely be the main man alongside Fashion Sikala and veteran defender Stopilla Sunzu, a winner in 2012.
Zambia’s final 28-man squad for AFCON 2025
Goalkeepers
- Lawrence Mulenga (Power Dynamos)
- Francis Mwansa (Zanaco)
- Willard Mwanza (Power Dynamos)
Defenders
- Stopilla Sunzu (Changchun, China)
- Frankie Musonda (Bahrain SC)
- Kabaso Chongo (Zesco United)
- Matthews Banda (Nkana)
- Dominic Chanda (Power Dynamos)
- Gift Mphande (Zesco United)
- Obino Chisala (Al-Merrikh SC, Sudan)
- David Hamasenya (Leganés, Spain)
- Benson Sakala (Bohemians 1905, Czech Republic)
Midfielders
- Miguel Changa Chaiwa (Hibernian, Scotland)
- Owen Tembo (Power Dynamos)
- Joseph Liteta (Cagliari, Italy)
- Kings Kangwa (Maccabi Be’er Sheva, Israel)
- Given Kalusa (FC MUZA)
- David Simukonda (Zesco United)
- Wilson Chisala (Zanaco)
- Joseph Sabobo Banda (Maccabi Be’er Sheva, Israel)
- Lameck Banda (Lecce, Italy)
- Fashion Sakala (Al Fayha, Saudi Arabia)
- Lubambo Musonda (Magdeburg, Germany)
- Pascal Phiri (Zesco United)
Strikers
- Patson Daka (Leicester City, England)
- Jack Lahne Kalichi (Austria Lustenau, Austria)
- Kennedy Musonda (Hapoel Ramat Gan, Israel)
- Eliya Mandanji (Zanaco)
Patson can not be a Zambian star… We have Sakala, Kangwa and some better than him. If we are going to use him on the pretex of name, then we are doomed. 2012 dint have names and we won