LWANDAMINA EXPLAINS ALGERIA SETBACK AS CHIPOLOPOLO SHIFT FOCUS TO TOGO
26.09.2026 | Football DNA
Chipolopolo head coach George Lwandamina has attributed Zambia’s 3-1 defeat to Algeria in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier to injuries and individual mistakes, but remains confident his young side can bounce back against Togo.
Zambia suffered defeat at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium, with Lwandamina acknowledging that the encounter was difficult, particularly in front of a passionate Algerian home crowd.
The Chipolopolo coach said his players had performed well despite the result and praised them for continuing to fight until the final whistle.
According to Lwandamina, Zambia made a few costly mistakes which Algeria took advantage of, while injuries forced him to make substitutions that were not originally part of his plans.
“Few mistakes, of course, and we were punished. Injuries also affected us. We had to make changes which we wouldn’t have made, and that cost us the game,” Lwandamina said.
LWANDAMINA TARGETS RESPONSE AGAINST TOGO
Despite starting the qualification campaign with defeat, Lwandamina believes Zambia can turn things around and stressed the importance of winning their home matches if they are to qualify for AFCON 2027.
He warned that Togo should expect a difficult encounter when the two sides meet in Zambia’s next Group I assignment.
“Definitely, we need to win our home games if we are to qualify. Togo won’t have it easy,” he said.
Lwandamina also expressed confidence in the development of his youthful squad, saying the players were coping well and showing the determination required to compete at international level.
He believes adding more experience to the squad could help bring greater balance and improve the team as the qualification campaign progresses.
LWANDAMINA ACKNOWLEDGES ALGERIA’S DEPTH
The Chipolopolo coach also praised Algeria’s performance and highlighted the depth of talent available to the North African nation.
Lwandamina said Algeria’s large player pool provided the technical bench with numerous options, something he believed contributed to their strength.
With the Algeria encounter now behind them, Chipolopolo will shift their full attention to Togo, looking to respond strongly and secure their first points of the AFCON 2027 qualification campaign on home soil.
Next up: Zambia 🇿🇲 vs Togo 🇹🇬
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