Zambia is the first African team to qualify for the 2017 FIFA World Cup, making full use of home advantage by winning its first two games at the 2017 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. Beating Guinea 1-0 was a worthy result, but the 6-1 trouncing handed to Mali was an eye-opener.
The Mali U-20s in this tournament are descended from the 2015 U-17 squad that won the 2015 African U-17 Championship, and was the runner-up at the 2015 U-17 World Cup. But the talented Malians were run over by a Zambia side urged on by a loud and increasingly happy home crowd.