I am ready for the task ahead, says new Zambia coach Sichone

Moses Sichone has been thrown straight into the deep end after being handed the responsibility of leading Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025.

The former Zambia international has long been part of the national team’s technical setup, most recently serving as assistant coach under Avram Grant. Following the Israeli tactician’s departure last month, Sichone was entrusted with the role of head coach — a mandate that immediately places him at the helm of Africa’s premier football competition.

“The task of leading the Chipolopolo at AFCON is huge, and I know what is required at this stage,” Sichone said in an interview with CAFOnline. “I am very thankful for the opportunity given to me by my FA. It is not an easy job, but I have been with the national team for some time and I understand how things work and how to get results.”

Sichone acknowledges that guiding a youthful Zambian side at the TotalEnergies AFCON, Morocco 2025 will be a demanding challenge. However, he remains encouraged by the confidence and commitment shown by his players during recent training sessions, insisting he believes the team is capable of achieving something special.

“The most important thing for me going to AFCON is the performance of the team and making our country proud,” he said, as he prepares for his maiden tournament as head coach of the national team.

Reflecting on Zambia’s recent AFCON outings, the coach stressed the importance of learning from past experiences.

“I know that in the last few editions we have not performed as well as we would have liked, but we have picked important lessons. We have sat down as a team to analyse what we need to do differently in order to improve our performance this time around,” he added.

Over the past few weeks, Sichone has focused on implementing his football philosophy, which he says the players have quickly embraced and are eager to express on the pitch in Morocco.

“My philosophy is to play from the back, build up and circulate the ball well. I don’t like playing long balls,” he explained. “We are blessed in Zambia to have players who are skilful, technically gifted and confident on the ball. Our aim is to play good football and get good results.”

Zambia have been drawn into Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Mali and Comoros, a challenging and highly competitive pool. Despite the tough opposition, Sichone believes the work done during the team’s pre-tournament camp in Murcia, Spain, has prepared his squad both mentally and physically.

The Chipolopolo will kick off their campaign against Mali in Casablanca on Monday, a fixture the coach admits will set the tone for their tournament.

“AFCON is a huge competition. I have played in this tournament and I understand how important it is,” Sichone said. “This is the same message I have been passing on to the players, to understand what it means to walk onto the pitch and represent over 20 million Zambians back home. This is their chance to make their own history.”

He continued: “We have taken a lot of lessons from our camp and we know exactly where we need to improve. Our ambition is to take one match at a time. The group stage is like solving mathematics; if we don’t get three points, at worst, we must get a point.”

A key pillar of Sichone’s setup is a technical bench largely made up of former Zambia internationals. He will be assisted by Andrew Sinkala, his former teammate at FC Cologne, and Perry Mutapa, with whom he played with at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000.

Kennedy Mweene, a key member of Zambia’s historic AFCON-winning squad in 2012 serves as goalkeepers’ coach, while Joseph Musonda (fitness coach) and Noel Mwandila (strikers’ coach) are the other ex-internationals who complete the backroom staff.

“It feels good to work with coaches I played with at the highest level,” Sichone said. “Every day we share ideas, and since we started working together, I have seen a lot of improvement in the team. These are people who have been there and done it before.”

He added: “We are young coaches and we relate very well with the players. We can joke, have lively conversations, but still maintain clear boundaries. When it’s time to work, everyone understands the responsibility. I believe this kind of technical bench will help us achieve good results.”

As Zambia prepare for their opening fixture, Sichone, who is building his team around the values of unity, discipline and respect, hopes they can make a strong start and draw inspiration from the nation’s unforgettable AFCON triumph in 2012.