Zambia Coach Avram Grant Sees CHAN 2024 as Catalyst for Local Football Development

As Kenya’s Benni McCarthy prepares for his debut in the dugout, Zambia’s Avram Grant has set his sights on long-term transformation.

Zambia head coach Avram Grant has described the upcoming TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 not just as a tournament, but as a strategic platform to fast-track the development of Zambia’s local-based footballers.

For Grant, who formerly managed Chelsea and Ghana, CHAN is less about short-term results and more about cultivating a competitive, self-sustaining pipeline of talent within Zambia’s domestic league system.

“CHAN is very important for us,” Grant said. “We don’t have many players in Europe like other countries. We mostly use players who play locally, and we’ve already shown what we can do, like when we beat Ivory Coast.”

Zambia, drawn in a stacked Group A with co-hosts Kenya, Morocco, Angola, and two-time champions DR Congo, face an uphill battle. But Grant remains calm, focusing inward rather than on the threat posed by high-caliber opposition.

“We are concentrating on team development. This competition gives us a chance to evaluate new players for the first team. The opponent isn’t the main thing, the key is for us to play as a team and maintain a winning mentality.”

Meanwhile, across the touchline, another high-profile name will be leading one of Zambia’s group rivals. South African football legend Benni McCarthy has been appointed head coach of Kenya’s Harambee Stars, marking his first major international assignment after leaving Manchester United, where he served as a first-team coach.

Taking charge of the CHAN debutants, and co-hosts, McCarthy is embracing the challenge head-on, despite acknowledging the tough draw.

“Whoever drew these balls… Mariga killed us!” McCarthy joked. “But honestly, to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. DR Congo, Morocco, Angola, Zambia, they’re all top sides. But Kenya is hungry and ready.”

McCarthy believes Kenya’s home-ground advantage and the drive within his squad will level the playing field.

“We play in front of our home fans, and this is a perfect opportunity to eliminate big teams early. Come CHAN, I can confidently say we’ll be a team fearful of no one.”

As CHAN 2024 looms, both Zambia and Kenya are approaching it with ambition, one with a focus on long-term structural growth, the other with an eye on a statement-making debut on home soil.

Group A promises to be one of the most compelling in the tournament, with coaching pedigree, national pride, and emerging talent all on full display.