The Government of the Republic of Zambia has welcomed the appointment of Copper Queens head coach Nora Elizabeth Häuptle.
Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts, Hon. Elvis Nkandu confirmed the development in a post on his Facebook page.
Hon. Nkandu believes Nora’s impressive pedigree and profile will undoubtedly consolidate the gains made in women’s football.
“The Government, through our Ministry, warmly welcomes the Football Association of Zambia’s (FAZ) decision to appoint Swiss national Nora Hauptle as the new Copper Queens coach on a three-year contract,” Hon. Nkandu said.
“Coach Hauptle’s impressive pedigree and profile will undoubtedly consolidate the gains made in women’s football, and we are confident that her expertise will elevate the team to even greater heights.”
The Minister went in to reiterate Government’s continued support to the Copper Queens and their new gaffer.
“As the government, we pledge our continued support to the Copper Queens and Hauptle’s tenure. We also take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude to outgoing coach Bruce Mwape for his outstanding contributions since his appointment in 2018. Under his leadership, the team achieved remarkable milestones, including qualification for the World Cup and two Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024).”
Häuptle was unveiled as Copper Queens new coach on Friday morning at a press conference held at Taj Pamodzi Hotel.
The former Black Queens head coach has penned a three year deal.
The new Copper Queens coach had a distinguished career as a defender in Europe and represented Switzerland at international level before retiring in 2009.
She took up coaching and notably drilled SC Sand in the German Frauen-Bundesliga, in 2020, where she was, at the time, the only female coach in the league. Hauptle left SC Sand in 2021 before being appointed Black Queens coach in 2022.
The Copper Queens have already qualified for the 2024 WAFCON (to be played in July 2025) that takes place in Morocco.
