Zambia eye positive start in U23 AFCON race

Zambia U23 has not lost a U23 AFCON qualifier in 22 years and they hope to maintain that record on Saturday away to Sierra Leone when they commence their race to Morocco 2023.

Young Chipolopolo is in Liberia to face Sierra Leone in a 2023 U23 AFCON penultimate round, first leg qualifier at SDK Stadium in Monrovia.

Sierra Leone is playing their home matches next door in Liberia because they do not have CAF-certified venues in Freetown.

Zambia heads into the first leg on a journey to clinch a third successive U23 AFCON appearance.

But Zambia must first meet the standards set by their predecessors who qualified for the 2015 and 2017 tournaments although both sides never made out to their respective semifinals.

Zambia traces its last loss in a U23 AFCON qualifier to June 6, 2011, when Algeria beat Young Chipolopolo 3-0 away in Algiers in the final qualifying stage.

“It’s a different ball game altogether it is about how we apply ourselves on Saturday yes and the emphasis has been there but we definitely need to qualify,” Mutapa said.

Since that away defeat, Zambia has posted two draws and as many wins on the road.

But Zambia will be facing a Sierra Leone side that has a stubborn home record despite never reaching Africa’s Olympic Games qualifying tournament.

Sierra Leone famously eliminated Cameroon in the second stage of the 2015 qualifiers 1-1 on away goals rule before Algeria ended their dreams on the final hurdle.

Meanwhile, it has been a good year for Zambia women’s and men’s junior teams qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League tournament and the 2023 U20 AFCON.

“Just like the trend has been over the last few months of the Zambian teams we need to copy from them. Our emphasis has been our destination that is to go and play in Morocco,” Mutapa said.

Mutapa will only have home-based players for the qualifiers after failing to secure the release of his eight overseas call-ups.

But Mutapa is comforted by the depth of quality his locals bring.

They include 2022 COSAFA U20 Cup winner and tournament’s best goalkeeper Jeban Tembo and midfielder Joshua Mutale who had an outstanding 2022 COSAFA Cup that Chipolopolo won in Durban in July.

Striker Jimmy Mukeya who was also part of that senior COSAFA Cup winning side is one of several seasoned juniors hoping to make a statement in the push for a third straight U23 AFCON qualification.  

Zambia will host Sierra Leone in the final leg on October 29 at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

The winner over both legs will play the winner of the Eswatini versus Egypt tie next March for the ticket to Morocco.

Eswatini hosts Egypt in the first leg this Sunday.