Eight days to go: Avram Grant: CHAN a launchpad for Zambia's next generation
With Zambia drawn in a challenging Group A alongside co-hosts Kenya, North African heavyweights Morocco, Angola and two-time champions DR Congo, Grant is focusing on internal growth rather than external threats.
The former Chelsea and Ghana boss insists that CHAN serves as a critical tool for long-term progress in Zambian football.
'At the moment, we are preparing well because CHAN is very important for us. We don't have many players in Europe like other countries who have lots of their first team players abroad. For us, we mostly use players who play locally, and we have already shown what we can do—like when we beat Ivory Coast,' he said.
Grant, who has spent the last year identifying and nurturing talent across the Zambian Premier League, stressed that the CHAN is not just about silverware but also about scouting and shaping the future national team core.
'Normally, this tournament gives us an opportunity to see more players for the first team, which is good for creating competition,' he added.
Despite facing strong opposition in the group stage, Grant's approach remains steady — focusing on Zambia's game model and individual player development.
'In this competition, we will concentrate more on our team and its development to see who gets promoted to the first team. Of course, we can only do that when we have a winning mentality like we've shown in the past,' he said.
'For CHAN, I don't think the opponent is important. What's key for us is to play as a team and show that winning mentality.'
The Israeli tactician, who took Zambia to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, underlined the vital role CHAN plays in providing exposure to domestic talent.
'CHAN is like a tool for us. Our main national team is composed of local players. We have a tough group, but that will help us grow in such an environment,' he explained.
With several young players set to feature in the upcoming tournament, Grant is confident that the experience will be invaluable for their development.
'For the young players, this is a chance to grow and mature. They still need a bit of guidance and polishing, but I'm sure we will achieve a good tournament with them.'
Zambia's preparations have been quietly impressive, with the team stringing together a series of strong performances in recent warm-up matches.
'We will do our best because over the last few games, we've shown good football and a lot of improvement. We've kept four clean sheets in a row. Now we are facing a different challenge and want to continue improving these players. This is the target.'
Zambia's CHAN campaign, therefore, carries a dual objective — to compete with pride and resilience, and more importantly, to lay the foundation for a stronger Chipolopolo in years to come.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CAF
3 hours ago
- CAF
MATCH FACTS: South Africa begin TotalEnergies CAF CHAN PAMOJA 2024 campaign with Algeria test
Published: Thursday, 07 August 2025 South Africa open their Group C campaign at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), PAMOJA 2024 with a challenging fixture against Algeria, who are playing their second game, in Kampala on Friday. This is just the second meeting between the two sides at CHAN, their previous clash coming in the quarterfinals of the 2011 edition. Algeria won that encounter 2-0, courtesy of an Adel Maiza penalty and a stoppage-time goal by Hocine Metref. Notably, Algeria become the first team that South Africa will face twice in the history of the competition. This will be South Africa's eighth CHAN match overall. Algeria – Key Stats Opened their Group C campaign with a 3-0 victory over co-hosts Uganda – their biggest group stage win at CHAN. That win marked their second triumph over Uganda, having previously beaten them at CHAN, with a combined 5-0 aggregate. It was their 13th match at CHAN: W8 D4 L1. Unbeaten in their last 7 CHAN matches in open play, with 6 wins and one penalty shootout defeat (vs Senegal in 2022 final). Have kept 10 clean-sheets in 13 CHAN games. Unbeaten in all 7 of their CHAN group games: W5 D2. Conceded just once in those 7 group games – a 2-2 draw with Gabon in 2011; they've kept clean-sheets in the other six. Previous second group game results: drew 2-2 with Gabon in 2011 and beat Ethiopia 1-0 in 2022. A win here would mark the second time Algeria win their opening two group games, having done so in 2022. Currently on a run of five group matches without conceding – 450 minutes since last letting in a goal at this stage. Across all CHAN matches, they've gone 682 minutes without conceding – last breached in the 37th minute of their 2011 third-place playoff loss to Sudan. Had three different scorers against Uganda – only the second time they've achieved that in CHAN (also in their 5-0 win over Niger in 2022). Completed 363 passes and scored 3 goals from 5 shots on target against Uganda. Abderrahmane Meziane both scored and assisted in that match. If Meziane, Ayoub Ghezala, or Soufiane Beyazid score again, they'll join El Arabi Hilal Soudani (2011) and Aymen Mahious (2022) as Algerians who scored in their first two games of a CHAN tournament. South Africa – Key Stats Making their third CHAN appearance, after featuring in 2011 and 2014. Reached the quarterfinals on debut in 2011 but exited at the group stage as hosts in 2014. Have won both previous tournament openers: 2-1 vs Ghana (2011) and 2-1 vs Mozambique (2014). Came from behind in both those opening wins, having conceded first. Despite winning their 2014 opener, failed to progress after drawing with Mali and losing to Nigeria. Group stage record at CHAN: P6 W4 D1 L1. Their only group loss was a 3-1 defeat to Nigeria in 2014. Scored first in only two of their six group games – a 2-0 win over Niger (2011) and a 1-1 draw with Mali (2014). Came from behind to win three times: 2-1 vs Ghana and Zimbabwe (both in 2011), and 3-1 vs Mozambique (2014). Have scored in all six group stage games and in six of their seven CHAN matches overall. Only failed to score in the 2-0 quarterfinal loss to Algeria in 2011. None of their seven CHAN matches have ended goalless. Six of their seven games produced a winner, with the only draw a 1-1 vs Mali in 2014. Qualified for CHAN 2024 by: Defeating Egypt 4-1 on aggregate (1-1 home draw, 3-1 away win). Overcoming Malawi 2-1 on aggregate (lost 1-0 away, won 2-0 at home).
CAF
3 hours ago
- CAF
MATCH FACTS: Guinea and Uganda meet in Group C clash at CHAN PAMOJA 2024
Published: Thursday, 07 August 2025 Guinea and Uganda will face off for the first time at the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) in this Group C encounter in Kampala on Friday. For Guinea, it marks their 17th CHAN match, with Uganda becoming the 15th different nation they've faced. The West Africans have twice previously played tournament hosts, losing to Morocco in 2018 and defeating Cameroon in the 2020 third-place playoff. This match will also be Guinea's fourth against East African opposition. Their previous results in such fixtures include a 1-0 win over Rwanda in the 2020 quarterfinals, a 2-2 group stage draw with Tanzania in the same year, and a 1-0 loss to Sudan in 2018. Uganda, meanwhile, are facing West African opposition for the seventh time. They have previously recorded victories over Burkina Faso (2014) and Senegal (2022), drawn against Mali and Côte d'Ivoire, and suffered defeats to Togo and Côte d'Ivoire in their most recent appearances. Guinea – Key Stats Began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Niger – also won their opening games in their last two CHAN appearances. Unbeaten in their last eight CHAN matches in open play (W4 D4). Last suffered defeat in open play in their second group match against Morocco in 2018. Have never won two consecutive CHAN matches or their opening two group games. Second group game record: P3 W0 D2 L1. Always both scored and conceded in their second group matches; no clean sheets in those games. Have six open play wins at CHAN, four of which were by 1-0 scorelines. All six open play wins and both shootout victories were accompanied by clean sheets. Have kept eight clean sheets in total at CHAN – four in group stage, four in knockout rounds. Against Niger, registered four shots on target – each from a different player. Mohamed Bangoura II scored the only goal vs Niger in the 47th minute, with his only shot on target. Uganda – Key Stats Their 3-0 defeat to Algeria in the opening game was their 11th loss in 19 CHAN matches (W2 D6). Have failed to win their first two group games at four previous tournaments – in 2011, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Only started with back-to-back wins once – in the 2018 edition. Have never followed a loss at CHAN with a win in the next match. Second group game record: P5 W1 D1 L3. Lost to Sudan (2011), Zambia (2016), and Namibia (2018) by 1-0 scorelines; also lost 2-1 to Togo (2020). Drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe (2014) and beat Senegal 1-0 (2022) – their only win in the last 15 CHAN games (D5 L8). The 3-0 loss to Algeria matched their heaviest defeat at CHAN, equalling their 5-2 loss to Morocco in 2020. Were the only one of the three co-hosts to lose their opening match – Kenya and Tanzania both won. Managed three shots on target against Algeria and faced five, with goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa making two saves. Patrick Kakande had two of Uganda's three shots on target. Had a passing accuracy of 80.5% in the match, completing 298 of 370 attempted passes.
CAF
8 hours ago
- CAF
Coach Suleiman hails Tanzania's 'tactical win', Garai proud despite defeat
Tanzania head coach Hemed Suleiman has hailed his side's tactical discipline after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mauritania in a match he described as a 'battle of strategy'. Despite the late heartbreak, Mauritania boss Aritz López Garai said he was proud of his players and insisted they did not deserve to lose. The match between hosts Tanzania and Mauritania remained goalless until the 89th minute, when the deadlock was finally broken at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday night. The goal handed the Taifa Stars a second consecutive win in Group B of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024. Suleiman Hails Tanzanian Fans and Thanks Them for Their Support In his post-match press conference, Tanzania boss Hemed Suleiman began by expressing his gratitude to the home fans for their unwavering support throughout the tightly contested game. 'First of all, I want to thank the Tanzanian fans who created such an electric atmosphere during the match. It was a tough encounter. We started the game with difficulty, and we knew Mauritania would sit deep, stay compact, and look to launch long balls forward.' He continued: 'It was a good match. Mauritania played defensively and used long passes, which made things hard for us. But our substitutions were successful. I think it was a tactical game, and we managed to win it.' Cleaning Up Before the Next Challenge Suleiman acknowledged that his team made several errors during the match and emphasised the need for improvement ahead of the next fixture. 'We'll return to training and work on correcting our mistakes. We'll also look at how to improve our attacking efficiency. Scoring is not easy when your opponent plays with six or seven players in defence. We managed the first half well, and in the second half, we brought in some substitutes. Those changes allowed us to shift the tempo of the game.' Importance of the Second Win in Pursuit of Their Main Objective The Tanzanian coach stressed that securing three points was the most crucial outcome of the match as the team continues to chase their ultimate goal in the tournament. 'The important thing is getting three points. We'll fix our mistakes during training. Our main goal remains qualification to the next round, and hopefully our next game will be even better.' He added: 'We must attack as much as we can when facing defensive teams. This match was a tactical battle. Our players followed instructions and played exactly how I told them. I had warned them it would be a difficult match.' Tactical Discipline Remains Non-Negotiable Suleiman insisted that his players must continue to adhere to the tactical principles being worked on in training. 'Our players always try to adapt to my tactical plans, and they must respect them. We even prepared a backup plan in case the first one didn't work. We controlled the midfield and managed the match well against Mauritania. Maybe we'll have some surprises for the other teams.' López Garai: Football Logic Doesn't Always Prevail On the other side, Mauritania head coach Aritz López Garai expressed disappointment at the result but praised his players for their performance, arguing that the better-playing team does not always come away with the win. 'This is football as we know it. You can play well, dominate, and still lose at the very end. We controlled the match and played well. I think we just needed more concentration throughout. Unfortunately, we lost, and that's hard to take.' He added: 'Yes, I believe we played a serious game. There was pressure, and we handled it well. At the beginning, Tanzania were nervous because they couldn't find a goal early. Now, we must win our next game. It won't be easy.' Tanzania Took Advantage of Half a Chance López Garai expressed frustration that Tanzania scored from what he described as minimal opportunities. 'Tanzania scored from half a chance, and that's frustrating. That's the reality of football—logic doesn't always prevail.' Recognition of Tanzania's Strength and Potential The Mauritanian coach acknowledged the quality of the Tanzanian side and backed them to go far in the competition, especially with the support of their home fans. 'Tanzania is a strong team. Their fans created pressure on both sides. I believe our players played good football and created chances. The Tanzanian players are good, and I said earlier they are favourites in our group. They're also one of the top contenders to win the tournament. I think they'll qualify from our group, maybe even top it.' Resilience and Defence Don't Always Secure Victory López Garai noted that defending well and holding out for most of the match doesn't guarantee a result, as Mauritania found out after conceding in the final minutes. 'We tried to close spaces and defend as a unit, but Tanzania scored from a single attack. We should not have given them any opportunity. These things are never easy.' Full Confidence in Mauritania Despite Defeat The Spanish coach concluded by praising his players' efforts and commitment throughout the match. 'I'm satisfied with my players' performance. I'm not happy with the loss, but they gave everything. We started the match well, handled the pressure, and defended strongly in the second half. We had a game plan, but it's difficult to maintain the same rhythm for 90 minutes. Tanzania had one or two chances — maybe just one — and they scored the winner.'
