By Enock Phiri | Bola Yapa Zed |19th November 2025
Zambia national team assistant coach Perry Mutapa says the Chipolopolo will not travel to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) merely to participate but to “make a mark”, despite suffering back-to-back friendly defeats to South Africa and Angola. Mutapa, who led the team in the absence of head coach Moses Sichone, currently hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning, believes the recent matches have provided crucial lessons especially in defence—as Zambia fine-tunes its preparation ahead of the tournament.
Zambia fell 3–1 to South Africa on Sunday before losing 3–2 to Angola on Tuesday night in Luanda. The latest match saw Jack Kaliche Lahne score his first Chipolopolo goal, while Fashion Sakala added another. Zambia fought back twice but were eventually undone by a late Angolan strike.
Despite the losses, Mutapa insists the games delivered valuable insight into areas requiring urgent improvement.
“We know in terms of defending, especially in organization, we didn’t do well,” he said. “We spent about two hours working on the structure because we knew Angola were a big threat on set pieces. The first goal unsettled us—five minutes in, they scored from a corner. We didn’t pick the runners.”
Mutapa acknowledged the defensive frailties but remained encouraged by the resilience shown by a youthful, largely experimental squad.
With several senior players absent due to family commitments, injuries, and illness, Mutapa fielded a squad featuring many young national team debutants. Despite their inexperience, he was pleased with their determination.
“From the last game we played on Saturday, we had maybe only three players who started,” Mutapa explained. “Most of them were playing their first or second international game. To see that fighting spirit, we are delighted as the technical bench.”
Zambia’s ability to fight back from behind—twice—offered flashes of promise, with the team displaying positive forward play and improved attacking combinations.
“It’s a loss but building takes time,” Mutapa said. “Going to the AFCON, we believe we are going to deliver results, but sometimes what is important is the performance.”
He added that the friendlies helped identify young players capable of shaping the future of Zambian football.
While Mutapa emphasised long-term development, he made it clear that Zambia’s AFCON ambitions remain serious.
“When we talk about building, we mean today and tomorrow,” he said. “But we are not going to Morocco to say we are building. We are going to Morocco to make a mark.
“We have seen where we need to patch up and we’ll do that. Going to the AFCON, we want to make a good mark.”
Zambia will compete in Group A alongside Morocco, Comoros, and Mali, opening their campaign against Mali on 22 December. Despite recent defensive struggles, Mutapa believes the team will be ready when it matters most.
Zambia’s losses to South Africa and Angola exposed defensive weaknesses but also highlighted emerging talent and fighting spirit within the squad. As AFCON 2025 approaches, Mutapa remains confident that with the right adjustments, the Chipolopolo will be competitive in Morocco. His message is clear: Zambia are not travelling to AFCON as underdogs—they are going to make an impact.
