Zambia national team head coach Avram Grant has set a target of taking Zambia to its first-ever world appearance as his long-term target with the southern African country that has never been to the world cup of senior men's team before. Speaking in South Africa recently coach Grant said that Zambians are people who love football and it was his challenge to regain the global standing of Zambia as a footballing nation. “I have a big challenge in Zambia and that is to help the team regain their status, Zambians love football.” He however set the team a short-term target of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and a long-term target of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. “We have set a short-term target of qualifying for the 2023 Afcon and a long-term target of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.” The chipolopolo senior national team is a point away from making their return to the continental showpiece having failed to make an appearance since 2015 failing in their last three attempts. Zambia's last two fixtures in the 2023 qualifiers will see them host ivory coast at home before completing the qualifying phase away against Comoros.