Copper Queens coach Nora Häuptle says her side is ready to begin their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 campaign on a strong note when they face hosts Morocco in Saturday’s opening match at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
Speaking during Friday’s pre-match press conference at the tournament venue, Häuptle reflected on a focused 10-day international camp held in Casablanca before the team transitioned to their official base in Rabat.
“We arrived very early in Morocco, 10 days ago, in Casablanca, where our pre-camp is situated. We had a very good training and the international players arrived early ahead of the competition,” Häuptle said.
“We had a very closed friendly game that we played there, which went well, and also had a bit of Moroccan culture. So far, all good.”
Zambia are looking to build on strong performances in previous encounters against Morocco, notably winning the Olympic qualifier in last year, but the Swiss coach insists past results will count for little on the day.
“There is competition between Zambia and Morocco. We had four games played last two years, and Zambia won the Olympic qualifiers, which makes good memories but for tomorrow’s game, we start at 0–0,” she said.
“For me, it’s always a pleasure to start the opening game. I hope that there will be a packed stadium to get this vibrant atmosphere. As head coach, we like this atmosphere and we like to go all out because it’s vibrant.”
Häuptle, who previously worked with Ghana, expressed her full commitment to Zambia and her pride in leading the team into their third consecutive WAFCON tournament.
“I worked three years with Ghana, but I am here now, present, my team is Zambia. I know where I belong. I am very excited to lead Zambia in this tournament,” Häuptle said.
“We want to come here to hunt. I think we are all very hungry, the players and I, to hunt for a title. Let’s see tomorrow how our starting performance is. It’s always very important that we live our values.”
Zambia opens their Group A campaign against Morocco on Saturday, 5 July at 22h00 CAT, before facing Senegal on 9 July and DR Congo on 12 July.
By FAZ Media
