Thirteen games without a win! The number has followed Zambia like an unpaid bill since their fairytale Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 2012, and on Monday night in Rabat it refused to budge.
A 3–0 defeat to hosts Morocco at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium confirmed that the Copper Bullets’ long AFCON drought would continue, with the 2025 tournament offering little comfort and even less joy.
Zambia exited bottom of Group A with two points from three matches, watching Morocco and Mali advance while they headed home early.
Amid the disappointment, it was Patson Daka who scored in their opening match against Mali to draw 1-1, delivered the clearest assessment of what went wrong calm, honest and free of excuses.
Before kick-off, teammate Wilson Chisala had added spice by labelling Morocco “overrated” and insisting Zambia had nothing to fear.
Football, however has a way of answering such claims. Morocco replied with three goals, total control and a reminder that quality, especially at home, rarely needs defending.
After the final whistle, Daka chose reflection over rhetoric. He admitted the tournament had been tough, though the opening two draws had offered hope. Against Morocco, that hope faded quickly.
“We gave Morocco too much time and space,” Daka said. “We sat too deep. It was like we just wanted to defend.”
Zambia did not so much park the bus as hand over the keys. Given that freedom, Morocco made themselves comfortable.
Daka stressed the approach was not tactical, pointing instead to inexperience and poor game management.
“We didn’t read the game properly,” he said, before consigning the defeat to football’s favourite resting place “under the bridge.”
He also acknowledged Morocco’s quality, noting that every team at AFCON earned its place.
It was a quiet contrast to the pre-match bravado and a hint of leadership shaped by disappointment.
