The Chipolopolo Boys yesterday recorded an important 1-0 win over Tanzania in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier away in Zanzibar. Fashion Sakala made a well timed run into the box to finish off a Lubambo Musonda Modricsque side foot brilliant low cross to give Zambia their first win of 2025 and end an eight match winless run in all competitions. The goal was Sakala’s 10th in Chipolopolo colours and only Patson Daka has more goals (20) among active players. Boy did the country need that win and it was nice that we finally got it. Maybe it could be a springboard for better performances. The win takes Zambia to 9 points in fourth place with Tanzania in third with 10 points and Niger in second with 12 points. At the back Kabaso Chongo was in his element and put up another spirited fight and even started the move that ended in a goal, a great showing. WORLD CUP DREAM ? The win has everyone dreaming of a maiden World Cup appearance for Chipolopolo So as it stands Morocco has already qualified from our group and our only hope is the play off tournament. But where do we stand, so we can finish second with a win over Niger on Sunday. Can we make it for the CAF play off tournament for the four best second placed teams? Very unlikely. Let me explain: So from our group we can only play eight games because Eritrea is not playing meaning some form of equalizing measure has to be applied in most cases to other teams who will play ten games , they remove their results against the bottom placed team in the group (not confirmed using past experience with other tournaments) . So if this will be the criteria what will be the case when or if we beat Niger on Sunday? Gabon who lead the second placed teams and they already have 19 points, and still with two games and a chance to finish first , so remove six points from their tally since they beat Seychelles home and away , they get 13, we can only get to 12, and remember they even have two games to play. Second is Madagascar who also has 19 points and has one game to play against Mali and is still mathematically able to finish top, remove the six points they got against bottom placed Chad, they get 13 points even before they play Mali, that’s two slots gone. From there we go to Cameroon who have 18 points but only got four points from bottom placed Eswatini that’s 14 points for them and we can only manage 12 so we can’t reach that. So we have to fight for one slot with five other teams who some even already have reached 12 points before playing their last game (when you remove the points they got against a bottom placed side) . For Example DR Congo in group have 16 points remove the six they got from South Sudan, they have 10 but wait they still have two games against Sudan and Togo, Just one win here and they get 13, wait they still have a chance to leapfrog Senegal to finish first so they have everything to fight for hence they are likely to win at least one, should they leapfrog Senegal, even worse as Senegal has only played South Sudan once so far hence remove three that’s 15 points and they have a game with Mauritania. The win was a good motivation but realistically the 2026 FIFA World Cup is out of our reach. And once you finish among the four you don’t qualify directly to the World Cup, you have to win the CAF tournament and then go to one for FIFA; Those four best runners-up (from the Groups) will play in a CAF Play-Off tournament. The winner of the CAF Play-Off Tournament will play in the FIFA Play-off Tournament that’s where you can now qualify for the World Cup. We need to beat Niger not to qualify for the World Cup but to finish on a high and use it as part of preparations for the 2025 AFCON tournament that kicks off in about less than 60 days.
