June 17, (THEWILL) – Zambia sealed their place in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, following a remarkable 3-0 victory over the already qualified hosts.
In a scintillating display at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, on Saturday, Patson Daka and Kings Kangwa found the net in the second half, while a Serge Aurier own goal added to the scoreline in the first half. Avram Grant’s Chipolopolo claimed the top spot in Group H with 12 points, two ahead of Côte d’Ivoire, guaranteeing their return to the tournament after a six-year absence.
With a boisterous full-capacity crowd rallying behind them, Zambia demonstrated their intent from the start, creating numerous opportunities with the dynamic duo of Patson Daka and Fashion Sakala constantly posing a threat. The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Aurier inadvertently scored an own goal under pressure from Daka. Despite dominating the chances, Zambia entered halftime with only a single-goal advantage but they wasted no time in extending their lead after the break.
Daka confidently found the net just two minutes into the second half, and Kangwa sealed the deal seven minutes later, propelling Zambia towards a resounding qualification.
In a simultaneous Group H match held in Johannesburg, Comoros secured a 1-0 victory over Lesotho with a 90th-minute goal from Youssouf M’Changama. This win solidified Comoros’ hold on the third position in the group with six points.
However, both Comoros and Lesotho are now out of contention for a spot in the AFCON tournament, as Zambia’s triumph confirmed their qualification. Lesotho, with only one point and four defeats in the group, will finish at the bottom of the standings.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
