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Zambia Assistant Coach Moses Sichone says the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations draw that pits the Chipolopolo against gladiators Morocco and Mali is intriguing.
The Chipolopolo face Moroccan and Malian teams full of quality, with majority players plying their trade for top European sides.
Least considered in the group are the Comoros Island who, themselves, have a fairly rich history against the Chipolopolo.
The Chipolopolo discovered their Group A opponents after being drawn against hosts Morocco during the draw conducted in Rabat on Monday.
Sichone said the group will be astern test for the Chipolopolo, with Morocco, the host nation, being the clear favourite to advance.
Sichone, a former Chipolopolo defender has cited Morocco’s strengths in having a strong squad depth, experienced players, and home advantage while the weaknesses will be potential complacency and high expectations.
For Mali, Sichone said they boast of physicality, counter-attacking style, experienced midfield as their strengths but their weaknesses lie in lack of creativity and inconsistent finishing.
Pace, skill, and energy in attack is the strength of the Chipolopolo but suffer from defensive vulnerabilities and lack of experience as their weakness.
For Comoros, Sichone sees team cohesion and defensive solidity as their strength but have limited attacking options and lack of experience.
“This group promises to be exciting, with Morocco’s home advantage and Mali’s physicality being key factors. Zambia’s attacking flair and Comoros’ defensive solidity will make for some intriguing matchups,” Sichone said
And former Chipolopolo Coach Wedson Nyirenda said every draw is a good draw.
“We have a well accomplished Morocco in our group. It is a team that is well organised tactically. But when we scout them well, it is also easy to know what they are doing. And it only remains to be seen how our players respond to the plan given to them by the coach,” Nyirenda said
He said Mali is riding on the good foundation left by Eric Chelle, who has since been employed by Nigeria due to his great works with Mali in the last edition of AFCON.
“It is either the new coach consolidates on what he has found or starts making his own things which can be make or break the team,” Nyirenda said
He has refused to call Comoros as underdogs.
“I have seen a very rapid development of football in Comoros. It will be the biggest mistake to look down on them. On our part I think we just need to plan well, programme well and prepare well. Then progress will follow,” Nyirenda philosophised
Another former Chipolopolo coach Patrick Phiri described it as a “Group of Death without doubt.”
“But we knew even before the draws that it was going to tough going forward. All the teams remaining are strong. The weak ones have fallen off. Each team at this stage is capable of winning the cup. The difference lies in the mentality, the experience, the preparations and resolve,” Phiri said
He said the teams that have won the cup before have a slight advantage in that they know exactly how to circumvent to excel.
“This is our strength at this stage. Given this background, you could say the fight in this group will be amongst Morocco, Mali and us. Comoros will be the spoiler. Comoros is at this moment poised only to dent images of the giants in the group. We cannot afford to write off Comoros at all cost. We can write them off at our own peril. Morocco and Mali, the gauntlet is done,” he said
Zanaco coach Mumamba Numba described it as a fair group.
“Looking at the teams that are there, with good preparations we can easily cruise to the next round,” Numba, a former Chipolopolo player and Coach said.
Read More: Zambia drawn in tough AFCON group with hosts Morocco, Mali, Comoros
A member of the 2012 Africa Cup winning team Davies Phiri said it is a tough group.
“We need to prepare well not like the last one. We didn’t play any friendly game before Afcon. We only met Cameroon in Saudi Arabia and played a match on an artificial ground. We have the host in our group and Mali plus Comoros that looks like a small team on paper,” Phiri said.
He said all Comoros players are based in Europe.
“Group stage games are tricky because you always want to win the first game. Once you come out of the group, the ball game becomes different,” the former Chipolopolo goalkeeper said.
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