The Copper Princesses will be looking to get their first win of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 this evening when they face off with New Zealand.
Zambia suffered a 2-1 loss to Paraguay before succumbing to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Japan.
However the COSAFA Champions still have a chance to progress to the next round with a win over New Zealand who are also winless so far in the campaign.
Head Coach Carol Kanyemba says they have been focusing on the mental strength of the players to make sure they avoid making silly mistakes because of the jitters of being at this stage.
The Copper Princesses have only managed to score a single goal and Kanyemba says that is what they have been working on during the week because they can’t win without scoring.
“We are really emphasising on the mental aspect of the game because I think that’s where we’ve been losing it, the jitteriness and the concentration levels. So we’ve been talking to the girls on how to behave, knowing this is a developmental stage, others are jittery being at this stage, but we try to give them the confidence to believe in themselves and know that it is possible for them to deliver,” she said.
“We know that New Zealand are just like us, they’re looking for a win and we are psyching our girls to say it’s possible to get a win, but only if we’re able to score. If we’re not able to score and go, it’s very difficult for us to get the results that we want. So we’ve been working on that, on finishing, on how to get the goals in this next game.”
Kanyemba says she has been emphasizing self belief in the players and reminding them that they can deliver.
“I’ve always believed in the girls, knowing where we’re coming from and being able to get the goals. It’s unfortunate that when they are on the pitch on the actual day, they don’t believe in themselves. So that’s the component that we are lacking. We continue to encourage them to believe in themselves knowing that they can deliver,” Kanyemba said.
Decent Mbewe will battle for a place between the sticks with Mary Nyangu as Loveness Chingwele is suspended after being sent off in the loss to Japan.
At the back, the reliable back four of Nana Malanda, Precious Mwape, Lweendo Hanongo and the amazing Faith Kaunda will continue.
In midfield, Taonga Mubanga and Sharon Siakaloba will be joined by either Beatrice Njobvu or Natasha Nkaka.
With Natasha Kasema, Gift Mazimba and Faith Kajiya Kapilingo also available for selection.
Upfront Victoria Mbali is expected to lead the attack alongside Mercy Chipasula and Grace ‘Pogba’ Phiri.
A win for the Copper Princesses will see them qualify as one of the best third placed teams. Kick off is set for 21h00 CAT and will be streamed live on the FIFA Plus platform.
