Experience is defined as practical contact with and observation of facts or events, and it is vital in almost all aspects of life.
Football is no different and experience comes in handy when talent and skill can not carry a team over a certain mark, experience usually does the trick.
As the Copper Queens move closer to their opening game of the Morocco 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Coach Bruce Mwape has some experience in his squad, and it does not come any better than Anita ‘Big Sue’ Mulenga.
The defender is heading to her third Africa Cup of Nations and has been to the 2014, and 2018 tournaments.
The Green Buffaloes defender has been a constant member of the Copper Queens’ central defense from as far back as 2015.
Mulenga and Lushomo Mweemba made a fine central defensive pairing for the Copper Queens during the qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the Zambia Women’s national team went on to make history and make a maiden appearance at the global showpiece.
The 27-year-old has been a one-club woman starting her career with Green Buffaloes Women’s football club from a young age with the U-8 side.
Mulenga was born and raised inside the Arakan Barracks and has followed her father’s footsteps by also joining the Zambia army just like her father before her.
Mulenga has been described by her club coaches as a disciplined player who is a people person both on and off the pitch.
Away from her perfect discipline record, Big Sue is a very good leader on the pitch.
Green Buffaloes Women’s football club and Zambia U-20 head coach Charles Haalubono has seen Anita Mulenga grow into the player she is today as he started her career from under 8 and he is full of praise for Mulenga.
“She is a very disciplined player both on and off the pitch, listens to instructions and follows accordingly,” Haalubono told the ZamFoot Crew.
During her early stages of football development, her mother was against the idea of her playing football not until she began to make progress and start going to the national team.
Her first test of national duty came in 2012 with the U-17 national team at the Zone six games.
Mulenga then made it to the senior team in 2014 and was part of coach Charles Bwale tutored side that went to Namibia for the AWCON.
Mulenga played all three matches at the 2018 AWCON and the majority of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers before being displaced by Agness Musesa at the tournament.
She has always been a key player for the Copper Queens at the regional showpiece, the COSAFA Women’s Championship including in 2019 when Zambia finished second losing to South Africa in the final.
She was also part of the Green Buffaloes’ side that played in the inaugural COSAFA Women’s Champions League held in South Africa last year.
Mulenga initially started as a striker before switching to the central defense and last season played several games as a forward for Green Buffaloes and scored several goals including a brace in the 2-0 home win over Indeni.
She has also perfected the art of scoring free-kicks from a short distance. The second goal in the game against Indeni at Green Square was a well-taken free-kick that left Catherine Musonda with no chance.
The Copper Queens are in Group B alongside old-timers Cameroon whom they will play on 3rd July 2022 before facing Tunisia who is making a return to the tournament 3 days later and they will wrap up the group stage matches against debutants Togo on 9th July 2022.
The semi-finalists will automatically earn themselves a spot at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand while two quarter-finalists will have to battle it out in the inter-continental playoffs to book a ticket at the world’s biggest women’s tournament.
