Zambia’s Copper Princesses begin their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign against Japan on Sunday, facing one of the most successful nations in the history of the competition as they look to build on their growing experience at the global stage.
The Group D encounter will be played at the Women’s Football Complex in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 Zambian time.
Japan arrive with an impressive pedigree, having won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2014. The Asian side are making their 10th appearance at the tournament, underlining their consistency at this level.
Coached by Sadayoshi Shirai, Japan reached the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup to secure their place in Morocco. They will be aiming to turn that continental experience into another strong World Cup campaign.
Their technical quality and experience make them a formidable opening opponent for Zambia, who will need discipline, concentration and confidence in possession to compete with the former champions.
The two sides are familiar with each other, having met in the group stage of the 2025 edition, when Japan claimed a 2-0 victory. Both teams subsequently progressed to the knockout stage, with Zambia reaching the round of 16 for the first time before losing to Canada, while Japan’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals.
For the Copper Princesses, Sunday’s fixture offers an opportunity to measure their progress against a side accustomed to competing at the highest level of youth women’s football.
Zambia have made significant strides under coach Carol Kanyemba. After finishing the 2024 tournament without a point and scoring just once, the Copper Princesses responded in 2025 with an impressive 4-0 win over New Zealand, which secured their first-ever qualification for the knockout stage.
Kanyemba has now guided Zambia to three consecutive FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups, becoming the first coach to lead a Zambian national team to three successive World Cup appearances at any level.
The Copper Princesses qualified for the 2026 finals by overcoming Ethiopia in the final round of African qualifying, continuing the progress made by the programme over the past three years.
Phiri leads Zambia’s attacking options
Grace “Pogba” Phiri is expected to lead Zambia’s attack as the Copper Princesses look to pose a threat to the Japanese defence.
In midfield, Lillian Mweenda and Precious Mwewa are likely to partner captain Taonga Mubanga. Mwewa heads into the tournament with confidence after scoring three goals during the qualifying campaign, while Mubanga brings valuable experience from previous World Cup appearances.
There is also a selection battle to watch in goal, where Bukata Kakumbi will compete with Winfridah Mutale for a starting place between the posts. The final decision will be an important one for Kanyemba as she prepares her side for Japan’s technical and attacking threat.
Japan will also have a key figure in midfielder Harura Matsushita, identified by FIFA as one of the players to watch. Her composure in possession and ability to disrupt opposition attacks could prove important in controlling the midfield battle.
With France and Venezuela completing Group D, a positive result against Japan would give Zambia an encouraging platform in a demanding group. The top two teams in each group, together with the four best third-placed sides, will advance to the round of 16.
Kanyemba has guided the Copper Princesses through three successive World Cup campaigns, and her side will be eager to show that their progress can translate into a competitive performance against one of the tournament’s established powers.
Against a former world champion, Zambia have an early opportunity to demonstrate how far they have come.
The match kicks off at 16:00 Zambian time, with coverage available through FIFA+ via DAZN.
