Former Chipolopolo Striker Believes Zambia Has What It Takes to Reach Another AFCON Tournament
Former Nchuminya Mweetwa striker has described Zambia’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group as fair and manageable, expressing confidence that Chipolopolo can secure qualification for a third consecutive AFCON tournament.
Zambia national football team has been drawn in Group I alongside Algeria national football team, Togo national football team and Burundi national football team for the qualification campaign to the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
“It Is a Fair Group” – Mweetwa
Reacting to the draw, Mweetwa said Zambia should approach the campaign with belief, insisting there are no easy or impossible groups in modern football.
“I think it is a fair group for Zambia,” Mweetwa said.
“There is nothing like a group of death anymore because football has changed. What matters most is preparation and planning.”
Memories of Tough Away Matches
The former striker also reflected on Zambia’s past meetings with Togo, particularly an away fixture in Lomé that left a lasting impression on him despite the defeat.
“I remember when we played Togo in Lomé. I travelled with the team although I did not feature in the game,” he recalled.
“We lost the match, but the atmosphere and experience were incredible. Those are the kind of environments footballers should embrace.”
Confidence Against North African Opposition
Mweetwa believes Zambia no longer has reason to fear North African teams, pointing to previous victories over Algeria during the reign of former coach Wedson Nyirenda.
According to him, Zambia has already shown it can compete against some of Africa’s strongest sides when properly prepared.
“We defeated Algeria both home and away under coach Wedson Nyirenda,” he said.
“I still remember the commitment from the players in those matches, and the quality of football was outstanding. Brian Mwila scored and everyone gave everything on the pitch.”
Zambia Has Enough Quality
Although he acknowledged that Chipolopolo is still rebuilding, Mweetwa believes the current squad has enough experience and talent to perform strongly in the qualifiers.
“Yes, the team is rebuilding and some of the senior players are getting older, but they still have enough energy and quality to compete,” he explained.
“Zambia has a lot of talent. The important thing is proper management, organisation and planning.”
Back-to-Back AFCON Qualifications Give Hope
Mweetwa further stated that Zambia’s recent success in qualifying for consecutive AFCON tournaments should boost confidence within the squad ahead of the 2027 campaign.
“We have managed to qualify for AFCON back-to-back now, so I do not see why we cannot do it again in 2027,” he said.
“If we plan properly and prepare the team well, Zambia can even surprise many people.”
He concluded by stressing that good preparation will be key to the team’s ambitions.
“Failing to plan is already failing, so we must organise ourselves properly,” he added.
