JOHANNESBURG: Leicester City forward Patson Daka scored a double on Sunday to guide Zambia to a 2-0 away win over Lesotho in Africa Cup of Nations qualification and strengthen their chances of qualifying for next year’s finals.

The 24-year-old attacker played a centre forward role for his country and tucked away opportunities in the 14th and 69th minute, both set up by Scottish-based Fashion Sakala.

It was a second successive win since Avram Grant took over as coach and puts Zambia top of Group ‘H’, from which only one team qualifies.

The group also includes the Ivory Coast, who are participating in the qualifiers but already in the 24-team field as hosts of next January’s finals.

The best placed team beside the Ivorians qualifies and 2012 winners Zambia are now close to booking a place in their first finals since 2015 after missing out on the last three editions.

Lesotho, who were forced to host Sunday’s tie in neighbouring South Africa because their own stadium is considered inadequate for international football, have been eliminated.

In Sunday’s only other qualifier, former Tottenham Hotspur defender Steven Caulker captained Sierra Leone to a 2-0 victory over Sao Tome e Principe in Group ‘A’ in the Moroccan coastal city of Agadir.

Abu Bakarr Samura and Alhassan Koroma scored in the first half of a match Sao Tome hosted 3,770 kilometres (2,350 miles) from home because no stadium there meets international standards.

Sierra Leone lie third with five points, behind leaders Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2023