Zambia opened its 2026 CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations campaign with an impressive 3–1 victory over Libya, securing three valuable points in Group A and setting up an important encounter with defending champions Morocco.
Royd Chishala opened the scoring for Zambia before Patrick Mwila delivered an outstanding attacking performance, scoring twice to extend his team’s advantage.
Libya captain Mohammed Abu Raas scored a late consolation goal, but Zambia maintained its lead to complete a convincing opening victory.
Zambia Makes a Strong Opening Statement
The result provides Zambia with a positive start to the continental tournament and demonstrates the growing competitiveness of emerging African futsal nations.
Mwila’s two-goal performance proved decisive, while Chishala’s opening strike established the foundation for Zambia’s success.
For Libya, the defeat creates an early challenge in Group A as the team looks to recover and remain competitive in the tournament.
Defending Champions Morocco Await
Zambia’s next challenge comes on October 14 against Morocco, which opened its title defense with a commanding 4–0 victory over Algeria.
Morocco is pursuing a fourth consecutive continental championship and enters the encounter as one of Africa’s established futsal powers.
The meeting will provide Zambia with an opportunity to measure its progress against a team with considerable continental experience.
Both countries enter the match following opening victories, making the encounter particularly important in the Group A standings.
Growing Competition in African Futsal
Zambia’s victory also highlights the importance of coaching, preparation and player development in strengthening emerging futsal programmes.
As more African countries invest in the sport, competitive performances against established teams could help raise the overall standard of continental futsal.
The central question is whether Zambia can build on its opening victory and challenge Morocco’s dominance when the two teams meet on October 14.