MATCH FACTS: Zambia take on debutants Sierra Leone in Group A opener at TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2017 champions Zambia are facing a tournament debutant for only the second time after South Africa in the 1997 group stages, a game they lost 2-1.
Since 1991, when the tournament took on its current guise, this will be Zambia's 21st meeting with a West African nation. Their record reads P20 W4 D6 L10.
Three of Zambia's four wins against WAFU member nations came on home soil in the 2017 finals when they defeated Guinea 1-0 and Mali 6-1 in the group stages, and then defeated Senegal 2-0 in the final.
Zambia's only other win since 1991 against a west African team was a 6-2 group stage success against Guinea in 1999.
Their biggest win against a WAFU member nation was that 6-1 triumph over Mali in the 2017 group stages.
ZAMBIA FACTS
· Zambia first featured in the Under-20 continental competition in 1985 and this is their 11th qualification.
· They were winners on home soil in 2017, defeating Senegal in the final. They have been semi-finalists three other times, in 1991, 1999 and 2007.
· Aside from their 2017 win, they have ended fourth in 1991, 1999 and 2007.
· Zambia exited the tournament winless in their last appearance in 2023 (D1 L2).
· Zambia failed to win their opening game at their last appearance in 2023, drawing 1-1 against Benin. In 2017 they defeated Guinea first up on their way to the title, while prior to that in 2015 and 2007 they lost to Mali 1-0 and Nigeria 4-2.
· Since 1991, Zambia have won their opening game twice, in 1999 and 2017 against Malawi 1-0 and Guinea also 1-0 (D3 L3).
· In their last nine group games spanning their last three tournament appearances, Zambia's record reads P9 W3 D1 L5. All three wins came in 2017 on home soil. They lost all three group games in 2015 and lost two in 2023 while drawing the other.
· Zambia have conceded a goal in each of their last five group games at the finals. They last kept a clean sheet in a group game in their opening game in 2017 against Guinea in a 1-0.
· Their clean-sheet against Guinea in their opening group game in 2017 is their only one at the group stages in their last nine group games.
· Zambia qualified for the finals by ending as runners up to South Africa at the 2024 COSAFA U20 Championships. They lost 2-0 in the final.
SIERRA LEONE FACTS
· Sierra Leone are one of two debutants at the current finals and will become the 43rd team to feature at the finals.
· They become the 14th WAFU member nation, only two other members, Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, have not qualified for the finals.
· They came through the WAFU A qualifying tournament, which was hosted in September 2024 in Liberia as runners-up in the final to Senegal.
· In the qualifiers they drew 0-0 against Guinea then defeated Liberia 3-1 and Guinea Bissau 1-0 in the group stages, before a 3-0 win over Gambia in the semi-finals. They lost to Senegal in the final.
· Momoh Kamara was their top scorer in the qualifiers with three goals.
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