Zambia Women’s National team head coach Bruce Mwape says tomorrow’s game against Namibia will be a tough encounter for the Copper Queens given that they struggled the last time they met Namibia.
Mwape’s lasses edged Namibia in the final round of qualification for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations where went on to win bronze.
Mwape however believes that the experience the Copper Queens gathered from Morocco will help them a great deal in this tournament.
“Tomorrow’s game against Namibia won’t be easy because the last time we played Namibia we struggled a bit but with the experience our players got from the AFCON, I am sure we will be able to change the way we played last time,” he said.
“We won’t take it lightly, we will go flat out from the first whistle to the end. What we want is a good result, We want maximum points.”
“We have included some young players in the squad. We want them to express themselves and see if we can add them to our World Cup preparations,” he added.
Skipper Barbra Banda returns to the Copper Queens set up after missing the WAFCON and Mwape believes she could be the one to lead the team to the final as the team has set a target of winning the tournament.
“Barbra Banda is a very serious player, She doesn’t like to lose. Am sure since she missed the WAFCON she wants to show the soccer fans that she can still deliver and take the team to the finals. Our target is to get back home with the trophy,” Mwape said.
“The tournament is important to the team as it will help us assess the players and give us a launching pad for our World Cup preparations.”
Meanwhile Striker Ochumba Oseke Lubanji is confident the team will go all the way and win the tournament.
Ochumba who was Zambia’s top goalscorer at the 2021 COSAFA Women’s Championship has called on the fans to rally behind the team so that they can bring home the trophy.
“We have very high morale in camp just like we had in Morocco, we are winning this Cup. This Tournament is very important to us because it’s part of our preparations for the World Cup. No matter what may come, we want to take this Cup home. We only want your support because it is what will make us bring the title back home,” she said.
The Copper Queens first match in Group B will be against Namibia tomorrow afternoon at 15h30 at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium, with their second match coming up against Lesotho three days later while their last group match against Eswatini is set for 6 September.
