WHAT THE WIN MEANS FOR AFCON 2027 LUSAKA – Zambia have revived their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualification campaign with a 2–0 victory over Togo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, a result that has moved the Chipolopolo into second place in Group I. Albert Kangwanda put Zambia ahead inside the opening minutes before […]

 WHAT THE WIN MEANS FOR AFCON 2027

LUSAKA – Zambia have revived their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualification campaign with a 2–0 victory over Togo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, a result that has moved the Chipolopolo into second place in Group I.

Albert Kangwanda put Zambia ahead inside the opening minutes before Eliya Mandanji sealed the victory in stoppage time, giving Zambia their first three points of the campaign after last Friday’s 3–1 defeat away to Algeria.

But the football was not the only talking point from the stands.

A video shared and seen by Zambian Eye shows sections of fans in the terraces chanting “Pe Lamp, Pe Lamp, Pe Lamp”, a slogan associated with the opposition Tonse Pamodzi Alliance.

The footage captures the chant coming from the terraces during the match, adding a political dimension to an otherwise important night for the national team.

What does the result mean for Zambia?

The answer is significant in purely football terms.

Before Tuesday’s matches, Zambia were bottom of Group I after losing 3–1 to Algeria, while Togo had three points after beating Burundi 1–0 in their opening match.

Zambia’s victory gives them three points from two matches and, following Algeria’s 2–2 draw with Burundi, puts the Chipolopolo second in the group.

The current picture is:

Team Points Algeria 4 Zambia 3 Togo 3 Burundi 1

Zambia and Togo have both played two matches, but Zambia’s 2–0 victory gives them the better goal difference between the two sides.

The road to AFCON 2027

The qualification campaign is being played across six matchdays, with the 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four.

For groups without an AFCON co-host, the top two teams qualify for the finals. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are automatically qualified as hosts.

That makes Tuesday’s victory particularly important for Zambia: the Chipolopolo have recovered from their opening defeat and are now back inside the two qualifying positions.

But there is still a long way to go.

Zambia’s next two Group I matches are against Burundi, with the Chipolopolo scheduled to host Burundi in November before travelling for the return fixture. They will then face Algeria at home in March 2027 before travelling to Togo for the final group match.

The Algeria factor

Algeria remain at the top of the group after taking four points from their opening two matches.

They beat Zambia 3–1 in Tizi Ouzou before surrendering a two-goal lead in a 2–2 draw with Burundi.

That means Zambia have already played one of their away matches against the group leaders and still have the return fixture at home.

For Zambia, therefore, the immediate task is straightforward: turn the points won against Togo into momentum in the two matches against Burundi.

The Chipolopolo will also know that their March 2027 home meeting with Algeria could have major implications for the final shape of Group I.

A win that changes the picture

The 2–0 scoreline does not by itself guarantee Zambia a place at AFCON 2027.

What it does is restore Zambia to the qualifying positions after the difficult start in Algeria.

And with four group matches still to play, including two against Burundi and home advantage against Algeria, the qualification race remains open.

For now, Zambia have moved from the bottom of Group I to second place.

And at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, the football result was accompanied by a chant that ensured the night would be remembered for more than just the scoreline.