MATCH STATS: Zambia vs Comoros – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group A

COSAFA member nations Zambia and Comoros meet at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, with both sides searching for their first victory of the tournament.

The teams contest their second Group A fixture at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca on 26 December, with kick-off scheduled for 18h30 local time (17h30 GMT).

Overall, Zambia and Comoros have met seven times in international football. Zambia have won four of those encounters, Comoros have recorded two victories, and one match ended in a draw.

Zambia won the first four meetings between the sides, home and away in 2012 AFCON qualifying, at home in 2023 AFCON qualifying, and at the 2023 COSAFA Cup. The teams drew 1–1 in their second meeting of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers on 9 September 2023, with Comoros hosting.

Comoros have won the last two encounters between the sides, both 1–0 victories at the 2024 and 2025 COSAFA Cups.

When paired together in qualification for the 2012 and 2023 AFCON tournaments, Zambia advanced ahead of Comoros on both occasions. Comoros have scored in six of their seven meetings with Zambia, including each of the last six, failing to score only once in a 4–0 away defeat in 2012 AFCON qualifying.

Zambia scored in their first five matches against Comoros but have failed to find the net in the last two.

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Zambia: P7 W4 D1 L2 GF11 GA6 GD+5
Comoros: P7 W2 D1 L4 GF6 GA11 GD-5

Zambia – Key Statistics

• Zambia drew their opening game 1–1 against Mali, with Patson Daka scoring in second-half stoppage time to earn a point.• Daka scored his 21st international goal for Zambia and his second at AFCON.
• Zambia are now winless in 11 AFCON finals matches, a run that began with their 0–0 draw against Côte d’Ivoire in the 2012 final (D9 L2).
• Their last win in open play at AFCON was a 1–0 victory over Ghana in the 2012 semi-finals.
• They are currently on a 10-match winless run in AFCON group games (D8 L2).
• Their last group-stage victory came in 2012, a 1–0 win over co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in their final group match.
• The draw against Mali was Zambia’s 70th match at AFCON and their 20th draw at the finals.
• Zambia have now conceded in each of their last four AFCON matches; their last clean sheet came in their final group game against Cabo Verde in 2015.
• Three of their last four AFCON matches have ended 1–1, with one defeat.
• Zambia have failed to win their second group game in their last 11 AFCON appearances (D4 L7).
• They last won their second group match in 1996, when they defeated Burkina Faso 5–1.
• The 1996 tournament was also the last time Zambia started an AFCON campaign with a draw and went on to win their second group game.
• Zambia have started an AFCON with a draw on eight previous occasions and have won their second group match twice, in 1994 and 1996.
• In addition to 1994 and 1996, the only other time Zambia failed to win their opening game but won their second match was in 1978, when a 2–1 loss to Ghana was followed by a 2–0 win over Burkina Faso.
• Against Mali, both of Zambia’s shots on target came in the second half.
• Zambia completed 200 passes in the second half against Mali, compared to 177 in the first half.
• Benson Sakala completed 43 passes, the most by any Zambian player in the match.
• Goalkeeper Willard Mwanza made four saves against Mali, facing five shots on target, conceding one goal and recording an 80% save success rate.

Comoros – Key Statistics

• Comoros began their tournament with a 2–0 defeat against hosts Morocco.
• They held the hosts scoreless in the first half and only conceded both goals after the break.
• The match against Morocco was Comoros’ fifth at AFCON, and they remain without a clean sheet at the finals.
• They have now conceded at least two goals in four successive AFCON matches.
• Morocco became the first team Comoros have faced more than once at AFCON; Comoros have lost both meetings 2–0.
• This match against Zambia is Comoros’ first ever AFCON fixture against a Southern African opponent.
• Their only previous second group match at AFCON ended in a 2–0 defeat to Morocco in 2021.
• At the 2021 finals, Comoros lost their opening two matches against Gabon and Morocco.
• They have never scored in their opening two group matches at AFCON; in 2021, a 1–0 loss to Gabon was followed by a 2–0 defeat to Morocco before they won their final group game 3–2 against Ghana.
• Zambia are the fourth former AFCON champion Comoros have faced at the finals, after matches against Morocco (twice), Cameroon and Ghana.
• In matches against former champions, all played in 2021, Comoros lost to Morocco and Cameroon in the Round of 16 but defeated Ghana 3–2 in the group stage.
• The match against Morocco was Comoros’ second against a tournament host at AFCON; they have lost both.
• Comoros have conceded nine goals in total at AFCON, with six of those coming in the second half.
• Goalkeeper Yannick Pandor made five saves against Morocco, including a penalty save from Soufiane Rahimi, the most by a Comorian goalkeeper since Ben Boina made seven saves against Morocco in 2021.
• Comoros recorded just 30% possession against Morocco, their lowest share of possession in an AFCON match.
• They managed two shots on target against Morocco, one in each half.