Chipolopolo coach George Lwandamina says preparations for Friday’s Group I 2027 AFCON qualifier against hosts Algeria have gone well, with strong competition for places in the squad.
Lwandamina said the competition for places in the team has made the selection of the starting eleven a manageable but daunting task.
Lwandamina said the team started preparations in Lusaka before being joined by the foreign based players, whose arrival completed the squad in camp.
“Our journey started from Lusaka, where we had the local composition with the three professionals. We trained very well and the response was good,” Lwandamina said. “I am very delighted with the overwhelming response of all those we called. Everyone who was on the list has reported, which is a positive thing. They have shown that they want to fight for Mother Zambia.”
The coach said the high level of competition during training has made the selection process particularly challenging.
“It is very, very difficult because everyone is putting in a lot of effort,” he said.
Lwandamina said Zambia would remain focused on its own preparations despite changes to the Algerian squad and technical bench.
“They still remain Algeria and we respect everything in this tournament. It is just about how best we prepare ourselves. We have to know what is in our camp, not what is in the other camp,” he said.
He said the technical bench has also worked on preparing players for the challenge of playing before a large home crowd.
“We have been psyching the players, and the players that we called seem to have a strong emotional fibre,” Lwandamina assured.
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo captain Fashion Sakala says the players are looking forward to the encounter after a positive period in camp.
“To be honest, we have a very good team and we’ve been preparing so well for this game. I know it will be a very tough game against Algeria,” Sakala said.
Sakala, who made his senior international debut against Algeria at Heroes Stadium, recalled Zambia’s previous victory over the North Africans and said the experience remains part of the team’s belief going into Friday’s match.
“My first national team game for the senior team was against Algeria at Heroes Stadium and we destroyed them,” he said.
However, Sakala stressed that the previous result should not be used as a reason for complacency. “It won’t be an easy game, but we can achieve something big. The biggest dream and the biggest target is to qualify to the Africa Cup,” he said.
The captain also addressed the changes in the Algerian squad, saying Zambia would be prepared for whoever is selected to play.
“We know about the changes but we shall not relax, but it’s actually a wake up call. Whoever is going to play from their side, we are ready to play against them,” he said.
Sakala further urged the players to embrace the atmosphere at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium, where Algeria are expected to enjoy strong home support. “It should be a motivation when you play against teams like Algeria and you have thousands of people on their side,” he said.
Zambia face Algeria on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, with kick off scheduled for 21:00 hours Zambian time. The match will mark Zambia’s opening Group I fixture in the race for a place at the 2027 Pamoja Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
