Zambian coach upbeat about AFCON qualification

Head coach of the Zambia national football team Honour Janza has expressed optimism that the team will qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations finals despite collecting a paltry two points from three games so far.

The Chipolopolo (The Bullets) failed to get maximum points during a Group F qualifier match against Niger away in Niamey after settling for a barren draw, leaving them with two points with three games to go, reports Xinhua.

But the Zambian trainer said the team still has a chance of qualifying for Africa's football showpiece to be staged by Morocco, adding that the team needed to get all the nine points remaining from the three matches.

"You have to fight beyond 100 percent. You don't have to get satisfied but we need to go to 120 percent. We are still in contention and have nine points to fight for," he was quoted as saying by the Times of Zambia Monday.

The two teams will meet Wednesday for the return leg at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola city on the Copperbelt Province and the coach has called on his players to put in extra effort if they are to record their first win from the qualifiers.

But the head of the country's football governing body said time was running out for Zambia and called on the team make use of the remaining games to brighten chances of qualifying.

While acknowledging that the team played well against Niger, Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Kalusha Bwalya said it needed to start creating chances and scoring goals in order to remain in contention for a spot at the finals.

Cape Verde lead Group F with six points while Mozambique have five points. Zambia and Niger have two points each.