CHAN: Zambia target to build winning mentality against DR Congo – Grant

Zambia national team head coach Avram Grant has revealed their mission as they prepare to kick off their TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign against two-time champions DR Congo at Nyayo National Stadium on Thursday.

The Chipolopolo will be aiming to make a strong start in their quest for a maiden CHAN title, hoping to better their best-ever finish — third place in the 2009 edition. They will come up against a Leopards side, who lost their Group A opener 1-0 against hosts Kenya.

“Preparations have gone really well, and we’re looking forward to the first game,” said the former Chelsea and Ghana coach after his team’s final training session in Nairobi as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“This is a great opportunity for every player to prove themselves on the big stage. Tactically, we’re not overly focused on our opponents. Our attention is on keeping our shape and maximizing our strengths. Our target is to build that winning mentality.”

The 2009 bronze winners will kick off their campaign on August 7 against DR Congo before facing Angola three days later. The match day three fixture will be against Morocco before concluding with a tasty tie with hosts Kenya on August 17.

Zambia has appeared at four CHAN editions with the best finish being a bronze medal while the rest of the appearances have ended in quarterfinal finishes.

However, they should be wary of tricky Leopards driven by the powerful presence of Jephté Kitambala upfront, midfielder Jonathan Mokonzi and Heltone Kayembe who occasionally weighs in with shots at goal.