KALU BOOSTS CHIPLOPOLO CAMP AS GRANT FACES SELECTION HEADACHE AHEAD OF MOROCCO CLASH

07.09.2025 | Football DNA ⚽️

Chipolopolo legend Kalusha Bwalya and head coach Avram Grant have both expressed confidence in Zambia’s readiness ahead of Monday’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Morocco at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Kalu Motivates the Boys

The 1988 African Footballer of the Year visited the national team camp to inspire the players, urging them to deliver a positive result for the nation.

Kalusha thanked FAZ president Keith Mweemba for opening the doors for him to interact with the team, saying the clash against Morocco presented the perfect opportunity for Zambia to demonstrate its strength.

“The boys look good and motivated; I shared one or two words with them. If we aspire to get to a good level, tomorrow we have a good chance. We have the ingredients, we have the players we need—we have to beat Morocco. We will use Morocco as the team to beat,” said the man fondly known as the Great Kalu.

Kalusha, who serves as vice chairperson of the FAZ Technical Committee alongside legends Kenneth Malitoli, Patrick Phiri, and Daniel Kabwe, also commended FAZ for inviting all former presidents to attend the high-profile clash.

Grant’s Selection Dilemma

Meanwhile, Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant said the return of several regulars from injury has created healthy competition for places in the squad.

“The last qualification we won without the players we consider key players, and now they have come back. So it is a good competition of who will play and who will not, who will also be on the bench and who will not,” Grant told journalists during the pre-match press conference.

He acknowledged the quality of Morocco, who have already secured their ticket to the FIFA World Cup, but maintained that Zambia is equally capable of rising to the challenge.

“Morocco is a very good team. We congratulate Morocco for qualifying to the World Cup. Moreover, in Qatar they came out in the semifinal, they played fantastic. We know that Morocco is a very good team, but we are also a good team and we want to show it tomorrow,” said Grant.

The Chipolopolo boss stressed that despite recent setbacks, Zambia still has a chance to finish among the best four second-placed teams and push for a playoff spot.

“We have three games in a row to seal second place. It is a team that never gives up,” he said.

The Stakes

Zambia hosts Morocco on Monday at 15h00 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Morocco, already qualified, tops Group E with 18 points. Tanzania sits second with 10 points, Zambia third on six, while Congo lies bottom with a single point.