‘AFCON squad must be pressure-free’

By BENEDICT TEMBO

ZAMBIA’S 2012 African Cup of Nations winning skipper Christopher Katongo has pleaded with football fans not to exert undue pressure on the Morocco 2025-bound Chipolopolo squad.
The Chipolopolo legend said success in football was a lengthy process and it would not be fair to push the players to win the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup.
“We can’t push these guys to go and win the Africa Cup. I have been there. I think to win the Africa Cup, we need more experience, more participation at the AFCON,” Katongo said.
Katongo told FAZ media that he was happy Zambia was now back for the second time on the trot, qualifying after a brief absence.
He said qualifying for AFCON was the surest way to get back to the top of African football.
“I just wish them good luck. I think we are from somewhere where we were booted out every time in the first round. So, it is a learning phase,” he said.
“Every time you (are) booted out, it is a learning phase. We can’t complain on that one.
“So, the more you qualify, the more you are likely to compete to go to the next stage. But if you are not qualifying to the Africa Cup, that’s a disaster because you’ll be behind. So qualifying, thumbs up, but now is to work on the ground. That’s the most important thing,” Katongo explained.
Katongo said for Zambia to win the 2012 AFCON, they had to endure early eliminations in 2006, 2008 and 2010 before lifting the trophy in 2012.
“It is a continuous process to win the Africa Cup. When we won the Africa Cup, we were booted out in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and then we won in 2012.
So, you see the consistency of qualifying regularly. So, if you can, the best way is qualify which is the best medicine that we can compete,” Katongo said.
In 2012, Zambia defied all odds to come out of group A which consisted of Equatorial Guinea, Libya and pre-tournament favourites Senegal.
Zambia beat Sudan 1-0 in the quarter-finals and defeated Ghana by a facsimile result in the semi-finals.
Zambia upstaged the star-studded Ivory Coast led by Yaya Toure in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations which undoubtedly gave the continent one of its fantastic stories.
However, Zambia failed to replicate the fairytale during the 2013 Africa Cup after bowing out in the group stage.
In the Morocco 2025, Zambia, are in Group ‘A’ alongside Comoros, Mali and hosts Morocco. The tournament will run from December 21 to January 18, 2026 in Morocco.