Zambia vs Tanzania Prediction: A crucial one for both nations

On Sunday afternoon at Stade de San Pedro, the second round of matches in Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations will feature Zambia facing off against Tanzania. Both nations are eager for a victory to enhance their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.

Zambia, making a comeback after missing the last three AFCON editions, aimed for their first tournament win since their surprising triumph in 2012 when facing Congo DR on Wednesday. Despite struggling to create goal-scoring opportunities in their initial match, with only three shots against Congo DR, Chipolopolo secured a valuable point with a 1-1 draw. Avram Grant's team took the lead in the first half as Kings Kangwa cleverly scored from 25 yards, exploiting Lionel Mpasi's position off his line after attempting to tackle Patson Daka.

The draw followed after Group F rivals Morocco, heavily favored, began their campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Tanzania at the same stadium. While their opening fixture didn't result in a win, Chipolopolo recognizes the opportunity to claim three points against an opponent they haven't lost to in their last four meetings, securing two wins and two draws.

Tanzania faced low expectations in their tournament opener against Morocco, and the most alarming aspect was their lack of attacking prowess throughout the entire 90 minutes. The Taifa Stars only managed two touches in Morocco's box, marking their lowest tally in an Africa Cup of Nations match and the lowest among all teams in the first round of matches.

Despite their defeat, Tanzania is still in pursuit of their first-ever win in AFCON history, having lost six and drawn one of the seven games they have played in the competition. Adding to their challenges, Adel Amrouche has been suspended by the Tanzania Football Federation for eight matches. This action followed a complaint from Morocco, alleging that the Taifa Stars' coach had made insulting remarks about the Atlas Lions. Consequently, Hemed Morocco has been appointed as Tanzania's acting coach for the remainder of the tournament, with assistance from Juma Mgunda.

Having secured 18 victories out of the last 32 encounters, Zambia boasts a superior record in the history of this fixture. Tanzania, on the other hand, has managed only five wins during this period, with nine matches ending in a draw. Zambia remains undefeated in their last five clashes with Tanzania, achieving four wins and a draw since a 1-0 loss in November 2007.

Although this marks their first meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Zambia and Tanzania faced off in the 2020 African Nations Championship, where Zambia emerged triumphant with a 2-0 victory.

Zambia possible starting lineup:

Mulenga; Mwape, Sunzu, Musonda, Kabwe; Kapumbu, Musonda, Kangwa, Banda; Sakala, Daka

Tanzania possible starting lineup:

Manula; Mnoga, Nondo, Hamad, Mohamed; Yahya, Mkami, Abraham; Samatta, M'Mombwa, Msuva

Although Zambia showed a less-than-impressive performance in their first match, particularly in attack, their commendable defensive solidity is likely to take precedence in the upcoming match against Tanzania. Zambia aims to secure a clean sheet against a Tanzanian attack that lacks genuine firepower. The match is anticipated to be tactically oriented, with the potential for a low-scoring outcome. It is speculated that the Zambia team may secure the victory here.