Zambia national football team
Chipolopolo · COSAFA · Elo 1513 (21st in Africa)
About the Zambia national team
The Zambia national football team (Chipolopolo) represents Zambia in men's international football and competes in CAF's Southern African (COSAFA) region.
All told, Zambia have played 795 recorded internationals since 1946: 359 wins (45.2%), 203 draws and 233 defeats, with 1,237 goals scored and 854 conceded.
Zambia have won the Africa Cup of Nations once (2012).
Zambia have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament.
Our Elo rating puts Zambia on 1513 points: 21st in Africa and 107th in the world. Their highest rating (1762) came in 1994.
Kalusha Bwalya is the leading scorer in our match records with 19 goals for Zambia.
Next matches
All fixtures →Recent results
All results →WLLLDDLLLW
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | W |  Togo |
2–0 | AFCON Qualification | H · Ndola |
| 25 Sep 2026 | L |  Algeria |
1–3 | AFCON Qualification | A · Tizi Ouzou |
| 31 Mar 2026 | L |  Argentina |
0–5 | International Friendly | A · Buenos Aires |
| 29 Dec 2025 | L |  Morocco |
0–3 | Africa Cup of Nations | A · Rabat |
| 26 Dec 2025 | D |  Comoros |
0–0 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Casablanca |
| 22 Dec 2025 | D |  Mali |
1–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Casablanca |
| 18 Nov 2025 | L |  Angola |
2–3 | International Friendly | A · Luanda |
| 15 Nov 2025 | L |  South Africa |
1–3 | International Friendly | A · Gqeberha |
| 12 Oct 2025 | L |  Niger |
0–1 | World Cup Qualification | H · Ndola |
| 8 Oct 2025 | W |  Tanzania |
1–0 | World Cup Qualification | A · Unguja |
| 8 Sep 2025 | L | Morocco |
0–2 | World Cup Qualification | H · Ndola |
| 25 Mar 2025 | L |  Russia |
0–5 | International Friendly | A · Moscow |
Key facts
- At home
- 156W 62D 37L (61% wins)
- Away
- 110W 80D 135L (34% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 93W 61D 61L (43% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.56 scored, 1.07 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 306 (38%)
- Failed to score
- 216 matches (27%)
- Most common score
- 1–0 (88 times)
- vs Asia
- 8W 5D 14L
- vs Europe
- 3W 1D 3L
- vs North America
- 2W 1D 3L
- vs South America
- 0W 0D 5L
- Best decade
- 1950s (58% wins)
- First recorded match
- Zimbabwe 0–4 Zambia (1946)
Where Zambian players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Zambian internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patson Daka | Forward |  Leicester City F.C. | – | – |
| Racheal Kundananji | Forward |  Bay FC | 13 | 8 |
| Margaret Belemu | Midfielder |  Shanghai Shengli | 35 | 2 |
| Catherine Musonda | Goalkeeper |  FK Tomiris-Turan | 13 | 0 |
| Clatous Chama | Midfielder | Simba Sports Club | 34 | 5 |
| Hazel Nali | Goalkeeper |  Fatih Vatan Spor | 22 | 0 |
| Racheal Nachula | Forward |  Zaragoza Club de Fútbol Femenino | – | – |
| Grace Chanda | Midfielder | Madrid C.F.F. | 34 | 12 |
| Martha Tembo | Midfielder | BIIK Kazygurt | 30 | 0 |
| Ireen Lungu | Midfielder | BIIK Kazygurt | 26 | 4 |
| Esther Siamfuko | Defender | Green Buffaloes Ladies FC | 13 | 0 |
| Hellen Mubanga | Forward | Zaragoza Club de Fútbol Femenino | 7 | 0 |
| Hellen Chanda | Forward | BIIK Kazygurt | 3 | 0 |
| Prisca Chilufya | Forward | Orlando Pride | – | – |
| Golden Mafwenta | Defender |  FC Naftan Novopolotsk | 8 | 0 |
| Judith Soko | Defender | YASA Queens | 3 | 0 |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Kalusha Bwalya1984–2004
- Collins Mbesuma2004–2016
- Christopher Katongo2006–2013
- Fashion Sakala2021–2026
- Godfrey Chitalu1968–1980
- Patson Daka2017–2025
- Bernard Chanda1973–1977
- Dennis Lota1996–2000
- Jacob Mulenga2004–2013
- Johnson Bwalya1992–1997
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCON Qualification | 128 | 67 | 31 | 30 | 191 | 111 | 1968–2026 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 111 | 51 | 21 | 39 | 165 | 108 | 1968–2025 | |
| CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup | 80 | 41 | 18 | 21 | 150 | 82 | 1973–2013 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 73 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 84 | 76 | 1 | 1974–2025 |
| COSAFA Cup | 68 | 34 | 22 | 12 | 97 | 54 | 1997–2023 | |
| Korea Cup | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 1988–1995 | |
| Simba Tournament | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1995–1995 | |
| Nehru Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 1991–1991 |
Notable Zambian players
All players →
Patson DakaZambia · Leicester City F.C.
Emmanuel MayukaZambia · b. 1990
C
Christopher KatongoZambia · b. 1982
Godfrey ChitaluZambia · b. 1947
K
Kennedy MweeneZambia · b. 1984
Jacob MulengaZambia · b. 1984
Kalusha BwalyaZambia · b. 1963
L
Lubambo MusondaZambia · b. 1995
Racheal KundananjiZambia · Bay FC
Emmanuel MbolaZambia · b. 1993
Stoppila SunzuZambia · b. 1989
R
Rainford KalabaZambia · b. 1986
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Zambia national team?
Zambia are nicknamed the Chipolopolo.
How many times have Zambia won AFCON?
Zambia have won the Africa Cup of Nations 1 time (2012).
Have Zambia played at the World Cup?
No, Zambia have not qualified for a World Cup finals tournament yet.
Who is the top scorer for Zambia?
In our match database, Kalusha Bwalya leads with 19 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Zambia history?
Zambia 11–2 Eswatini on 5 February 1978 (International Friendly).