AFCON: Zambia’s Daka fires back: ‘I don’t stress about scoring’

Zambia’s striker-in-chief Patson Daka has responded to his growing army of critics over his national team and Leicester City FC goal-drought as the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco gains momentum.

The England-based forward pulled Zambia from the jaws of defeat at the hands of Mali by scoring a late equaliser in a one-all draw on Monday in a Group A match of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals underway in Morocco.

In a post-match interview as shared on Facebook by Kaumba Chikenge, Daka challenged his critics that he has never stressed about his lack of scoring regularly for club and country.

“I feel ok. I know a lot has to be done. I am just glad that at the end of this day, we have gotten the point. It was a tough game, but I am so happy for the team. We didn’t give up. We kept fighting for each other, which was very important for us to have a stepping stone for the next game,” he said.

The former Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg FC forward insisted that he has never doubted his quality, which he stressed goes beyond finding the back of the net.

“I think it is not a secret that God has been my strength. I always believe that what is mine, will always be mine, and it will happen at the right time. I don’t rush anything. I always keep on doing what I am supposed to do, and when the right time comes, it will happen. I am just glad it happened today [Monday]. I know the quality that I bring to the team. I will always try to help the team in every area I can, and not only scoring, but whatever contribution I can to help the team,” the 27-year-old explained.

The Zambia’s Kafue FC product explained that his attitude into matches was not about personal glory but team-work.

“I don’t rush anything. I keep on doing what I do. I know the quality that I bring to the team. I know [that] I am a striker, and I need to score goals, but if it doesn’t happen, then it wasn’t meant to happen. I don’t really stress myself because I know that as long as I keep doing what’s right, the goals will come. But if it doesn’t, it doesn’t stress me because I know the goals will come.”

Patson Daka Takes International Tally to 22 After AFCON Opener

Daka’s effort on Monday took his tally to 22 career goals in 42 matches for the national team, and his second in four AFCON appearances.

More goals will be expected from the Under-20 AFCON winner when coach Moses Sichone men face Comoros on Friday, while Mali will date the hosts.

Morocco lead the standings with three points after overcoming Comoros 2-0 on Sunday. The islanders anchor the table while Mali and Zambia have one point apiece, lying in second and third places respectively.