Zambia Women’s coach Nora Häuptle was asked about the threat posed by DR Congo ahead of Saturday’s final group match.
Häuptle also talked about the team’s evolution and Grace Chanda’s suspension among other things
Below is the full script
“We are ready, we have been able to observe the performance from the two games. We started our recovery from yesterday. I think DR Congo is going to give us another challenge.
“We went from a very much technical approach from Morocco to a very physical approach from Senegal. Now I think DR Congo is a bit mixed. They have a bit of a mixture,”
“They have a bit of a mixture with some technical players inside. For me, a team which shows that they also can do an evolution during the tournament. I think they adapted well the strategy from Game one to Game two.”
“So, yeah, we expect them to do a good job. they should be prepared also for us. And for the games and so on,”
“We had a good start against Senegal. I was very straightforward with my team in the analysis. We had a very good hour. We had a lot of chances. We should be in the lead by 3-4-1. We should close it in the end.”
“We also had to spend a lot of time in the last 15 minutes. We also lost a pretty good organisation. So we were very clear in our impact.
“For me, the 30 minutes we played and proved ourselves again. It showed that we have a very stable defence approach for our transition. That is so true.
“So, this gives us confidence, of course. Basically, it’s more to bring us back in the good stage after the second game. The scoreboard is all in our hands.
“For me, this is important. If we have the initiative, it will be in our hands or in our hands.
“Yes, first of all, I think the scoreboard is important. Time always comes. Of course, it’s time to look on the big line.
“Martha Tembo was suspended for the first game, and that’s the first thing and now she played the second game. I think it’s convenient.
“I always think the tournament overall is six games, you need to pass in six games in quite a short time. That’s why we chose this squad of 21 to 24 players, which we think, first of all, against each challenge, our opponents are all the time. We have the right players, you know.
“Secondly, also that we have a head-up for each position. I think we show that we can influence change in those positions. And Matha was coming on the pitch with full aggression.
“She was attacking very bravely, very strongly when she came in the game so I think we have a good adaptability in this squad. Now, as you mentioned, Grace Chanda has conceded the second yellow card so she’s suspended. She’s a fantastic footballer. She had a long history of medical reasons that kept her out of the game for more than a year.
“So my heart is always opening when I see her on the pitch. She’s a fantastic footballer.
“And then the move between the lines. She did not have a lot of play time in the Club. So now she gets a lot of minutes, you know.
“Of course, we take every minute that we can. Yeah, to give her play time, that’s her role. Now she’s out.
“It’s maybe also good to recover a bit for her. She played now more minutes than she made the whole year at the club. So also this, we take a positive step, you know.
“I am just ensuring that she is recovering. We have a strong plan for how it is.
“The DR Congo game is a good entertainment for all of you guys, you know. It’s going to be a final clash of the group.
“For me, as a coach, I always focus on my team. We are not calculating too much. We are not watching too much, you know, what the others say.
“Because we know they are aware about us. We continue to work on our KPIs and our performance indicators. Yesterday, we said that this is our game.
“So for us, it’s just to keep growing. To adjust in our next steps. Defending, to execute the smart game plan.
“We are very focused in our process. We won’t watch too much left or right. We don’t read too much media outside.
“And I think we have this, you know, with this group of top players, we have this knowing that we are strong, that we are good. So we keep focussing on us. And I think this will carry us in our next steps.
“I mentioned it earlier in the press conference for the second game that I am not an oracle, only an oracle can predict the future. I cannot tell you how many goals we will score.
“I can just repeat to tell you that we have to put a plan. We try to put the right players in combination on the pitch. Depending on what the opponent is asking us, we can see what can we add to go all in.
“Because our approach is that we will clear this group after the first stage. But I cannot tell you how many goals we are going to score, because I won’t be a liar and nobody knows this. It’s a magical football now.
“It’s all open. Again, in the tournament, everything shows. Up to now, everybody can beat everybody.
“Slowly, I put a plan to just do the opposite. Goals and nothing else. This is what it was. You have to keep it up. That’s the key.
