WHY ZAMBIA CAN NEVER WIN THE WORLD CUP OR AFCON… unless by a miracle
By Fisho P Mwale
I want to qualify the above headline by saying I fear that, in my lifetime (God willing, the next 30 years), Zambia will not have built the capacity to compete and win a World Cup. I further believe that in the next 3 editions, we might see either Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, or Egypt win or be runners-up at a World Cup.
Let me share a few controversial facts to buttress my position: most West African and North African countries have exported hundreds of their players into European leagues. Apart from exports, you have thousands of European footballers of AFRICAN ORIGIN. Take the French national team, for example. 90 percent are of African origin.
Nigeria is the top African exporter of professional footballers overall, with about 800 players exported (primarily to Europe but including other continents).
Ghana follows with about 550 exported players, and
Senegal with 450.
Therefore, West African nations, plus Morocco, are among the most represented and are repeatedly highlighted as leading sources of African talent in European football. Why is this important, and why will Zambia not reach the levels required?
Well, nations with many players in Europe—such as Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Ivory Coast—benefit from footballers who train and compete in high-intensity, highly advanced, and tactically advanced leagues. This regular competition against world-class opposition gives access to elite tactical systems and football philosophy. So when they come to Afcon, they are way ahead of Zambia.
It’s like a musician who learns how to write and read music. A footballer who is familiar with systems and can understand football concepts of formations and tactics through modern training routines and video data analytics is more likely to bring discipline, professionalism, and a winning mentality back to the national team.
The other factors, apart from advanced coaching and tactical development, which most European clubs invest heavily in through qualified coaches and youth development academies, are sports injury management, psychological therapy, fitness, and nutrition. Health therapy!
Players exposed to this environment are far better prepared than ours.
I want to argue here that, though South Africa comparatively provides excellent infrastructure, organization, and a high level of commercialization, it will take them many more years to achieve what West Africans will simply because their football is insular. It is not highly exposed to Europe because not many South African players make the grade or are interested in playing overseas.
Our players from less developed leagues with poor infrastructure and a lack of funding often rely mostly on natural talent and prayers, not structured tactical frameworks or a culture of adequate overall preparation. Our preparation is for the government to give you money 2 months before the competition instead of 12 months.
Nutrition, medical support & sports science are totally lacking and too expensive for us.
Africa abounds with raw football talent—on dusty street grounds in Lusaka townships—young boys and girls chasing dreams. Talent isn’t our problem; opportunity, structure, investment, finance, and vision are what are lacking.
Above all, exposure to Europe transforms players and gives them a different hunger to win.
Back home, our players play with hunger but without knowledge, tactical sense, and professionalism.
It is this system of exposure that makes nations like Senegal, Morocco, Ghana, and Nigeria formidable—not because of talent alone but because of exposure to advanced football frameworks.
Change is possible. Zambia can rise, dominate, produce champions, but we must invest—build academies, bring in sports science, develop coaches, commercialize the sport, and the government must seriously invest serious money because football is national pride.
This future is within reach—if we stop just dreaming, complaining about failing to qualify, and start building so that in my lifetime I can witness Zambia win the Afcon again, pakuti World Cup nikaya mwe Kapena bene Papas bapephela.
SE