Press Statement(For Immediate Release) Football Association of Zambia
Football House, Lusaka13th December 2025
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has confirmed that the Chipolopolo Boys, currently camping in Spain ahead of the 2025 AFCON, will play two high-profile international friendly matches.
FAZ General Secretary Machacha Shepande says Zambia will face the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ivory Coast as part of preparations for AFCON Morocco 2025.
He says the match against DRC will be played on December 16, while the Ivory Coast game will follow 24 hours later.
Shepande explains that due to the short gap between the two matches, coach Moses Sichone will field two different squads to avoid injuries and fatigue.
He adds that the DRC match will largely feature locally based players because new FIFA regulations only allow foreign-based players to join the national team from December 15.
“Most foreign-based players will not be available for the DRC match because of the new FIFA release dates. They will, however, be available for selection against Ivory Coast. Players used in the first match will also be rested to allow proper recovery before travelling to Morocco,” Shepande said.
Shepande said FAZ expects the team to fully benefit from the Spain camp as part of its AFCON preparations.
Meanwhile, Shepande has dismissed as false and malicious reports circulating on social media alleging that FAZ is working with an agent to inflate hotel bills for the team’s camp in Murcia, Spain.
He said the claims are completely untrue and meant to distract the team from its AFCON preparations.Shepande said that it is impossible for FAZ to inflate costs or misuse public funds, as all expenditures undergo strict government scrutiny.
“There is no way government can pay for questionable services without conducting its own due diligence. Officials from the Ministry of Sports are always part of the advance team to verify accommodation and logistics. At no point can FAZ manipulate government into paying for dubious deals,” he said.
Shepande added that the Keith Mweemba-led FAZ executive committee was elected on a platform of good governance, transparency, fairness, and accountability, and will not engage in any form of corrupt or shady practices.
He has since urged members of the football family and the public to ignore false information, especially content spread on social media by individuals determined to damage the image of the association.For and on behalf of the Football Association of Zambia
Nkweto Tembwe
Head of Media and Communications