Zambia’s national football team, fondly known as Chipolopolo the Copper Bullets have become the first casualty of elimination in Group A of the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Despite coming into the tournament as one of the favourites and boasting a proud footballing legacy, three straight defeats have ended their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.
The Southern African giants fell 2-0 to DR Congo on August 7, suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Angola on August 10, and were humbled 3-1 by Morocco on August 14. Even with one match left against hosts Kenya on August 17, the tie will be a formality a chance to salvage pride rather than chase qualification.
Coming into CHAN 2024, Zambia carried both history and expectation. They have qualified for four of the last seven CHAN tournaments, famously clinching bronze in their 2009 debut after beating Senegal.
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They have consistently advanced from the group stages in past editions (2016, 2018, 2020) and arrived in East Africa on the back of a 2023 COSAFA Cup triumph, their seventh regional title.
Their story in African football, however, is defined by resilience and emotion. The pinnacle came in 2012 when Zambia stunned Côte d’Ivoire to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Libreville, Gabon near the site of the 1993 plane crash that claimed their entire national team. That victory was as much a tribute to fallen heroes as it was a crowning sporting achievement.
Head coach Avram Grant, who led Ghana to the 2015 AFCON final and once steered Chelsea to a UEFA Champions League final, admitted disappointment but sought positives.
“We had come here with a new team and there are a lot of positives we can pick from the tournament. Despite the first two losses we are not giving up,” Grant said after the Angola defeat.
He was frank about what went wrong.
“The first match was a disaster for us, but today we played much better. We created six clear chances and scored just one. We tried our best but missed so many chances, which cost us the match. However, there are good things we can build on.”
For Captain Kabaso Chongo, the match against Kenya is now about dignity and determination.
“We have one mission to fight for every ball, every minute, every match,” he said before the team’s final training session.
Zambia’s early exit is a reminder that even the most seasoned tournament teams can falter. The Copper Bullets’ elimination leaves Kenya, Morocco, Angola, and DR Congo battling for the two quarter-final spots, with Kenya currently leading the group on seven points.
When they step onto the Moi International Sports Centre pitch on Sunday, Chipolopolo will no longer be chasing glory but they will still be defending a legacy of heart, pride, and the unyielding spirit that has defined Zambian football for generations.