FIFAWCQ: Avram Grant urged to maintain consistency with Zambia squad

Former Zambia midfielder Noah Chivuta has called on coach Avram Grant to have consistency with his naming of Chipolopolo squad as the team prepares for their subsequent tournaments.

The Chipolopolo will return to action for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where they are scheduled to face Tanzania on October 8 in Zanzibar and Niger on October 12 in Ndola.

Chivuta believes Grant should use the remaining matches to fight for qualification but also as high-profile preparation games for AFCON in December.

Zambia shouldn’t experiment too much at this stage

“It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves calculating our chances again, but we must never give up. Every game has its own importance. If we don’t qualify, these matches should serve as preparation for AFCON and the qualifiers beyond,” said Chivuta as quoted by Bola News.

“We shouldn’t experiment too much at this stage. Yes, it’s important to include players performing well at home and abroad, but the core should remain the same. That’s the group that will go to AFCON. Everyone who joins the national team should know how we play—it should be standard.”

He concluded: “The approach should be 100% serious. These games will help us in many ways if we use them properly. Every game is important, so let’s give it everything and hope for the best.”

In the goalkeeping department, Grant handed a debut call up for in-form Nkana shot-stopper Patrick Chooma while a litany of youngsters like Mathews Banda, Gift Siame, Joseph Sabobo Banda, Miguel Chaiwa, Gift Mphande and David Hamansenya have made the cut with Tanzania based Clatous Chama back in the fold.

The current squad is a mix of foreign and local based players with Zambia looking to use the final FIFA World Cup qualifiers partly as preparatory grounds for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off in December.