The provisional list for the Burundi double-header is out, and it is a blend of the familiar and the recalled. ZamFoot reported on Wednesday 4 November that the interim coach George Lwandamina has named 30 players for the back-to-back Group I qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia host Burundi at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Friday 13 November and travel to Bujumbura for the return on Tuesday 17 November.
The headline inclusion is Chanka Zimba, the striker who has just joined GD Vitória de Sernache in Portugal and returns to the national set-up. He is one of five forwards, with Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala, Albert Kangwanda and Zesco United's Kennedy Musonda, whose domestic form earns him a place. Red Arrows supply the defender Zephaniah Phiri and the midfielder Ackim Mumba, two of the local players ZamFoot singled out.
The 30
Provisional squad, as reported by ZamFoot
- Goalkeepers (4) — Willard Mwanza, Lawrence Mulenga, Luka Mainza, Victor Chabu
- Defenders (10) — Mathews Banda, Zephaniah Phiri, Owen Mwamba, David Hamansenya, Gift Mphande, Tinklar Sinkala, Ricky Chanda, Jackson Phiri, Dominic Chanda, William Kamwanga
- Midfielders (11) — Lameck Banda, Gamphani Lungu, Joshua Mutale, Wilson Chisala, Owen Tembo, Obino Chisala, Miguel Chaiwa, Joseph Liteta, Ackim Mumba, Kelvin Mwanza, Allan Mumba
- Forwards (5) — Fashion Sakala, Albert Kangwanda, Patson Daka, Kennedy Musonda, Chanka Zimba
The squad assembles in Ndola on Thursday 5 November with its locally based players; those abroad are expected when the FIFA window opens on Monday 9 November. Mr Lwandamina is expected to trim the group to 26 before the first match. Some players on the list are also with the under-23 side, which plays Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on Wednesday 11 November and at the National Heroes Stadium four days later, so the final selection will depend on how the two coaches share them.
Where Group I stands
ZamFoot's report puts Zambia second in Group I with three points from two matches, one behind the leaders Algeria, with Togo also on three and Burundi bottom on one. Two wins over Burundi would put Zambia in a strong position with two rounds to play; anything less leaves the group open. The finals, branded AFCON Pamoja 2027, are co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
The 30 names are a provisional selection and will change: the test for the interim coach is whether the six players he cuts, and the eleven he starts in Ndola, show a settled idea of how this team wants to play after a transitional year.
Sources: ZamFoot, “Lwandamina names 30-man provisional squad for Zambia's Burundi double-header” (4 Nov 2026).