Zambia’s dreams of making a historic debut at the FIFA World Cup suffered a devastating blow last night, as they succumbed to a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at the hands of Tanzania.
The loss, their third in four World Cup qualifying matches, sees them plummet to fourth place in Group E, with a meager three points from a possible twelve.
Meanwhile, Morocco continues to reign supreme at the top of the group, following a resounding 6-0 triumph over Congo Brazzaville.
With last evening’s victory over Chipolopolo Boys, the Taifa Stars assume the second position on six points while Niger is third.
Zambia on three points, is now languishing in fourth place ahead of struggling Congo Brazzaville who have not recorded a single win.
Before a packed and expectant crowd at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Tanzania’s Waziri Muhudi struck early, silencing the home fans with a fifth-minute goal.
Despite a valiant effort, the Chipolopolo Boys struggled to find their rhythm, huffing and puffing but ultimately failing to breach the Tanzanian defense.
The solitary goal proved enough for the East Africans to claim a hard-fought victory, leaving Zambia’s World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
To stand a chance of a first time appearance at the World Cup now, Zambia goes back to her usual tricky game of ‘qualification calculus’.
They must now pin their hopes on an intricate web of results, hoping that other teams win, draw or lose in order to sneak into the World Cup.
By Elesani Phiri
Kalemba June 12, 2024
