Chipolopolo Boys coach Avram Grant described Zambia's 1-1 draw with Cameroon in Saudi Arabia as a "very tough game" but one that was "good for us" ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Speaking to the media after the match, Grant praised his team's fighting spirit despite facing an aggressive Cameroon side. "I think the game was good for us," he said. "It was a very tough game, they played very aggressively, but I think it's good for us because we also gave them a tough time." Patson Daka opened the scoring for Zambia just 11 minutes in, and Grant was happy with his team's attacking play. However, he emphasized that the result was less important than the effort. "I was happy for the boys," he said. "There was fighting, they gave everything. We can agree in the end that we gave good attacking. The result is less important - you can see the players gave everything. We have a good bunch of players who want to give everything for the country." With their opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo just seven days away, Grant assured that his team will be ready. "We will do everything to be ready on the 17th," he said. "The players are very good, they are giving everything in training. We have a very good team." Zambia's impressive 2023 qualifying campaign, which saw them top their group and secure a berth in the Nations Cup after missing three previous editions, has left Grant optimistic about his team's development. "We did a lot of developments last year, on the pitch and off the pitch, by the players," he said. "I am very happy." Looking ahead to the tournament, Grant acknowledged the difficulty of Zambia's group, which includes Morocco, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. "It's not easy," he said. "We have a very tough group, but I can assure you we will know everything about our opponents."