Following their early exit from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Former Zambian winger Clifford Mulenga has urged fans and pundits to exercise patience with the young national team. Mulenga, the 2007 CAF Young African Footballer of the Year who participated in the build-up to Zambia's historic 2012 AFCON victory, offered words of encouragement on Facebook: "98% of us were debutantes and it took us 6 years, 4 attempts, 2 group stage exits, 1 quarter final appearance and 1 final appearance to finally bring it home. Let us not be hypocritical in our analysis." He drew parallels to the current squad's lack of experience. The majority of the 2023 team were AFCON novices, with only three players participating before and two making their debut. This inexperience stemmed from Zambia's failure to qualify for the previous three tournaments. Despite their early elimination, Mulenga commended the team for their efforts in Ivory Coast: "Well done to the current Chipolopolo Boys team for the AFCON 2023 debut. Lessons have been learnt. You now have the taste of the big stage. What you do from now on is what you will be judged upon." With an eye to the future, Mulenga, who is also involved in FAZ youth development, emphasized the importance of starting player identification and preparations for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco: "The preparations and player identification start now. We now look forward to Morocco2025 AFCON."