Zimpapers Logo

Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter

ZAMBIA national football team coach Avram Grant has singled out Chipolopolo’s impending clash with Zimbabwe at the Four Team Tournament as a good test for his side ahead of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier games and the start of the 2025 AFCON marathon.

The Israeli-born football manager was particularly impressed with the composition of the squad announced by ZIFA for the tournament to take place in Malawi next week. 

The Warriors, who involve a mixture of local and foreign-based players, will be led by interim coach Norman Mapeza on the sojourn from March 18-26. 

The tournament involves Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya and hosts Malawi. The four nations have also taken the opportunity to utilise the FIFA international break with the resumption of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, set for June, in mind.

Grant, who once coached former Zimbabwe captain Benjani Mwaruwari at Portsmouth in England in 2006, believes the southern neighbours have a strong squad anchored by England based players. 

“This is going to be a very good test,” said Grant.  As for Zimbabwe they are very good, I saw the squad. So many players are playing in England, something that I hope will happen to us some day. 

“I believe if it happens to the younger generation there is going to be a talented national team. It’s not a secret that there will be a chance (at the Four Nations Tournament) for other players to show themselves because our target is not this tournament. 

“Of course we went to win; I want to win every game. Even a friendly game, I would want to win it. But the target is the June World Cup qualifiers and the AFCON qualifiers coming up in September-November, if I am not mistaken. We want to be there one more time. So that’s the target.”

Grant, who had a rather disappointing outing with Zambia at the recent 2023 AFCON tournament in Cameroon, would want to make amends in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 AFCON qualifying matches set for later this year. 

After experiencing mixed fortunes in the start of the 2026 World Cup qualification, following a 4-2 win over Congo and a 1-2 defeat to Niger, Chipolopolo have a difficult assignment away to Morocco before returning home to host Tanzania in the Group E encounters during the window set for June 3-11. 

Grant appears he is taking the Four Nations tournament as a serious stage for preparations after naming the bulk of the squad that played at AFCON, including stars like Patson Daka of Leicester City in England, Lameck Banda (Lecce-Italy), Scotland-based Frankie Musonda and veteran defender Stopilla Sunzu who is now playing in China.

The 24-member squad also has new faces which Grant would want to try out. 

“Of course this will not be the final squad; the players that are not here will come back. But it’s a very good tournament for us to test a few things. The players who are here are because they deserve to get the chance. They should grab the chance and who knows?” said Grant.

Grant has already begun training with the local-based players while the Zimbabwe team will go in camp after the weekend games.