Reviewed by Aaron Mubanga JnrZambia sports betting writer
Published 19 September 2026
George Lwandamina has named twenty seven players for Zambia’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Algeria away and Togo at home, with Patson Daka and Fashion Sakala in the squad.
The squad is built around four goalkeepers, eight defenders, nine midfielders and six forwards. Patson Daka, now at Hamburg, and Fashion Sakala lead the attacking options, and Miguel Changa Chaiwa of Hibernian is among the midfielders called in from abroad.
Zambia play Algeria away first and then host Togo at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola four days later. CAF has Algeria against Zambia on 25 September and Zambia against Togo in Ndola on 29 September, the opening two matchdays of Group I.
A squad picked for two very different games
The two fixtures ask opposite questions. Algeria at home is the hardest assignment in the group and Zambia will spend much of it without the ball. Togo in Ndola is a match Zambia are expected to win, and the problem there is breaking down a side that will defend deep.
Carrying nine midfielders and six forwards in the same squad is how a coach covers both. It allows a compact shape in Algeria and a heavier attacking weight four days later without recalling anyone in between.
Ndola is the match that decides the window
Chipolopolo have no domestic league running to sharpen anyone, because the Transitional League does not start until October. That makes the home fixture the more important of the two on points and the more revealing on form, since most of the locally based players in the squad have been training rather than competing.
A result in Ndola is worth more than a creditable defeat in Algeria. Qualifying groups are decided on the matches a side is supposed to win, and this is one of them.
Where to bet: AFCON qualifying is priced in kwacha at Betway and Premierbet, both licensed by the Gaming Regulatory Board, on match result, both teams to score, over and under and correct score, with deposits through MTN, Airtel and Zamtel money. With no domestic league running, Zambian prices are being set off international form alone, which makes them slower to reflect who is actually match fit. Compare the two books before you stake. Our guide to the best betting sites in Zambia covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Zambia soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
