Zambia’s Saudi Arabia-based forward, Fashion Sakala Jr, has been left out of the 27-man Chipolopolo squad for the consecutive 2025 AFCON qualifiers due to a previous disagreement with the coach, Avram Grant, Israel’s football manager.
Despite the absence of their first-choice striker, Patson Daka, who is nursing an injury, Sakala has not been selected.
Sakala, who plays for Al Feiha, accused the coach of biased selection earlier this year. He had an impressive season last year, scoring 22 goals in all competitions.
Zambia will play Ivory Coast in Bouake on September 6th and then host Sierra Leone in Ndola on September 10th. The third and fourth match days will be between October 7-15, with Zambia facing Chad in back-to-back games.
The final two matches will take place in the November window, with Zambia facing Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. The top two countries in each group will qualify for the 35th edition in Morocco, scheduled from December 21st, 2025, to January 18th, 2026.
Chipolopolo coach Avram Grant's 27-man squad for back-to-back AFCON Qualifier matches against Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. #WeAreChipolopolo #AFCONQ2025 #AFCONQualifiers pic.twitter.com/RyGzd9BHP8
— FAZ (@FAZFootball) August 29, 2024
