Zambia Women’s national team midfielder Evarine Susan Katongo is full of joy after helping the team to win bronze at the just-ended 2022 Morocco Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Katongo who was playing at her first tournament was named player of the match in the third and fourth playoffs against Nigeria.
The Luyando Foundation Girls product was happy to be named the woman of the match in a difficult game against the nine-time Champions especially since this is her first WAFCON tournament.
“It is really an exciting thing to win the player of the match because this is my first time playing WAFCON and I managed to get the player of the match accolade and we managed to get bronze as a team. So it is really a great achievement, it means a lot to us and everyone supporting us,” she said.
” It was really difficult, This game against Nigeria was not easy but at least we managed to hold them and win bronze. We both wanted to win the bronze and am really happy.”
Katongo says the team has gained more experience after playing at the WAFCON against some top players on the continent.
Katongo captained the Zambia U-20 side that failed to qualify for the World Cup and following the success at the senior level, the 19-year-old is happy to be part of the historical achievement.
“Us playing WAFCON is giving us more experience because of playing experience and good players. Playing here and qualifying for the World Cup is giving us experience so that we can improve and correct our mistakes,” she said.
“At under-20 we failed but now we being part of this team and qualifying to the World Cup is giving me motivation. It is making me work hard so that I can improve and work at a higher level. It is giving me extra motivation to keep pushing.”
Katongo scored a beauty of a goal to help the Copper Queens record their first win over Nigeria and seal third place.
The Copper Queens’ triumph meant they picked up their first ever medals (bronze) at the continental showpiece.
