They say it is not how you start that is important, but how you finish.
This is the mantra that Zambia have adopted heading into their 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) Group “A” match against Angola at the 18,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi today from 6pm.
While Zambia’s goal is to bounce back from their disappointing loss last Thursday, the fixture is a must-win for Angola if they are to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals stage.
After playing two matches, Kenya tops the pool with four points, followed by Morocco on three points from one match.
Two-time Chan champions, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are ranked third with three points, while Angola are placed fourth with one point from two matches.
The “Chipolopolo” lost 2-0 to DR Congo last Thursday. In a pre-match conference yesterday at MISC, Kasarani Zambia’s Israeli coach Avram Grant said all was not lost for his side.
He noted that out of the six titles he has won across the world, only once did he register victory in the opening match of the tournament.
“Not everything in life and football goes the way you want,” said the experienced former Chelsea and Ghana coach.
“The most important thing is to recover. Also when you win, don’t think that you know everything, stay humble. I said to the players of Zambia, nothing will be over in the first game. Teams can win in the first game and lose in the next while others that lose in the first game can go forward.
“I hope it will happen now, nothing is guaranteed,” he added.
Ranked 88th in the world, Zambia are making their fifth appearance in Chan.
Chipolopolo captain Kabaso Chongo is among the key players the Southern Africa nation is banking on for a strong performance.
The former TP Mazembe centre back, who is now in the books of Kabwe Warriors, brings a wealth of experience to Chipolopolo as they chase after their maiden Chan title.
“We didn’t start well in the first game, but we are just looking at the next game to perform well and get a positive results,” said Kabaso.
Grant added that while they would like to win all matches, his main objective for the tournament was to identify at least three players to join Zambia’s main team.
“That will be good for me from this tournament,” said the veteran Israeli coach.
After losing 2-0 to Morocco, Angola were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Kenya.
“The expectations were high, but unfortunately, we lost the first match and drew the second,” said Goncalves.
Without revealing much details, he said the team was grappling with several internal challenges.
Ranked 87th in the world by Fifa, Angola have featured in four Chan finals.
The Palanca Negras ‘s best run in the tournament came in their debut in Sudan 2009 where they finished fourth behind the hosts.
They have exhibited some attractive passing play mixed with flair. But worryingly, the Pelanca Negras have gone six games without a win at the finals (four draws, two losses), with their last victory registered against Cameroon in 2018.
