The Zambia Women’s National Soccer Team stormed into the final of the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Championship for the first time ever since the tournament started in 2002 and they will be locking horns with the defending Champions South Africa tomorrow (Sunday).
Hazel Nali who is the Captain of the side and first-choice goalkeeper spoke to the ZamFoot Crew ahead and run through how the Copper Queens’ journey has been at the tournament ahead of the super Sunday clash with Banyana Banyana.
Nali described the whole tournament as being okay and everyone is very excited to have made it to the finals and believes the vast experience the team has gained has contributed to their success.
“The tournament has been okay and we are so happy and excited that we have gone through to the finals. I think the first thing that made us through to the finals is Experience. For me, I have been with the national team for quite some time now and I think we had the experience to say this time around we want to make some changes of which will make us to go through to the finals and we achieved it,” Nali said.
Zambia beat Botswana 4-0 to progress to the final. The game came barely two days after the two teams played out to a goalless draw. Nali feels the changes made to the starting line-up is what made the difference in both ties.
“I think the difference was about the team. In the first game, we used some players that normally start from the bench and with the second one in the semi-final we used some other players of which they had chances and used them for us to score and qualify to the finals.”
This is the first time The Copper Queens have reached the COSAFA Championship final since its inception and Nali is optimistic that she and her teammates will make history by lifting the trophy.
It’s a great achievement it’s our first time and we have broken the history of us qualifying to the finals and we are now looking forward to lifting the trophy, we really need to make history by winning this last game, The final-Nali
The Beauty Mwamba led team will not have it easy getting past a Desiree Ellis free-scoring side Captained by Refiloe Jane who has 5 goals to her name at this tournament but Nali feels the girls are ready for the match and they know the task ahead of them though she’s expecting a 50-50 challenge as the game can go either way.
“South Africa is not a small team we really need to work hard if we are to beat them. Football is something which if whoever needs it will get it, I believe my girls know the task which is ahead and everyone will up their game for us to beat them. I think their defence is not that good they have a good striking force, and we also have a good striking force it is just a balance team between them and ours. So the team which will need the most will actually get it,” she said.
The Copper Queens and Banyana Banyana will revive their rivalry tomorrow at the Wolfson Stadium in the final of the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Championship and the match will kick-Off at 14:00hrs(CAT).
