Kalaba pleased with Afcon draw

Rainford Kalaba has described Zambia’s Group B draw at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as fair.

Zambia were on Wednesday night drawn to play 1974 champions DR Congo, 2004 winners Tunisia and 2013 Africa Cup debutants Cape Verde.

“Our group is fair, but we just have to prepare well and not underrate any team,” the TP Mazembe midfielder said.

“Every team qualified on merit and every team is at the tournament to compete.”

Kalaba said Zambia is hoping to evoke the spirit of 2012 in Equatorial Guinea where they were unbeaten en route to winning the tournament across the border in Gabon who co-hosted the event that year.

“We have to be united like in 2012,” said Kalaba.

Zambia will kick off their Group B campaign against DR Congo on January 18 in Ebebiyin where they will play all their preliminary round games.

They will face Tunisia on January 22 before wrapping up their Group B obligations with the third installment of their grudge match against Cape Verde.

Cape Verde and Zambia will meet exactly three months after squaring-off in the 2015 qualifiers.

The Blue Sharks beat Zambia 2-1 in the first leg of their Group F qualifier on September 9 in Praia before the latter avenged the defeat in both sides final match on November 19 with a 1-0 home win in Ndola.

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