World Cup (Q): Sakala strikes as Zambia win at Tanzania

Zambia kept their faint 2026 World Cup qualifying hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over Tanzania late Wednesday evening at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.

Chipolopolo captain Lubambo Musonda’s assist was perfect from the left wing with his incisive pass going through the legs of a Tanzania defender and into the path of Sakala who made no mistake. The 75th minute goal made all the difference in a Group E match with high stakes.

An energetic start gave way to a stale first half of tense football with neither team too willing to take the risks necessary to open the scoring. The action increased in the second half with both teams needing nothing less than a victory.

The final half hour saw Zambia midfielder Kings Kangwa’s free kick require a diving save from Taifa Stars goalkeeper Yakoub Suleiman before Lawrence Mulenga was called into action on the other end. However, it was Sakala who finished at the crucial moment to eliminate Tanzania from contention to qualify.

Zambia will finish up their Group E fixtures on Sunday at home against Niger, who hold second place after their own important win on Wednesday evening with a 3-1 result over Republic of Congo. Niger lead Zambia by three points.

Tanzania have completed their fixtures following Wednesday’s match. With Morocco long ago declared the group winners, the situation remains unclear for the teams battling to be one of the top four group runners-up. Neither FIFA nor the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have announced how Group E will be accounted for since the group has one less team than the other groups due to Eritrea’s withdrawal before the qualifying campaign.

2026 World Cup Qualifying: Updated Group E Table

1. Morocco- 21 points
2. Niger- 12 points (GD: 0)
3. Tanzania- 10 points (no games remaining)
4. Zambia- 9 points (GD: +1)
5. Congo- 1 point