Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda has urged Zambia to address their shortcomings ahead of the return leg against Uganda after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifier in Kampala on Thursday.
Zambia took an early lead through Prisca Chilufya at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, but Uganda fought back to claim victory and take a one-goal advantage into Tuesday’s return fixture.
Agness Nabukenya equalised for the hosts with a superb free-kick before Sylvia Kabene completed the comeback in the second half.
Despite the defeat, Banda believes Zambia can respond in the second leg, which will be played at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on 13 October.
“Not the result we wanted, but we had a good run against Uganda. We knew it was not going to be an easy game, but we are looking forward to the next game in Zambia,” Banda said.
The forward acknowledged that the Copper Queens must learn from their mistakes and make the necessary adjustments before the decisive encounter.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and see our mistakes. Definitely, we need to correct those areas,” she added.
Banda also highlighted the determination of Zambia’s younger players, challenging the more experienced members of the squad to raise their performance levels.
“We saw how the young players were determined. They are bringing competition, and as senior players, we need to step up,” she said.
The Copper Queens must now overturn the one-goal deficit on home soil to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games alive.
