England-based forward Jessica Choolwe Johnson has joined the Zambia Under-17 Women’s National Team in Casablanca, completing the Copper Princesses’ 21-member squad ahead of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Johnson, who is on the books of Aston Villa’s U21 side, expressed her delight at rejoining the squad as Zambia continues its preparations in Morocco.
“It is great to be back with the girls. I’m just happy to be part of the team again,” Johnson said.
“I think I will be able to contribute well and hopefully score some goals so we can get past the group stage.”
Zambia will face China in a warm-up match on Friday as coach Carol Kanyemba’s side fine-tunes preparations for the tournament, which gets under way on 17 October.
Johnson believes the friendly will provide an important assessment of the team’s readiness before the competition begins.
“I think the China game is very important because it sets us up for the group stage and shows us where we are,” she said.
“Hopefully, we can get past the group stage.”
The Copper Princesses have been drawn in Group D alongside Japan, Venezuela and France, a section Johnson acknowledges will be challenging.
“It is a tough group, but I think we can get past it,” she said.
Johnson is returning to the national team after being away pursuing her academics and fulfilling club commitments, and she is eager to make an impact on the world stage.
“It is great. Obviously, they [the fans] want me back, so I hope that I can show what I can do to help the team,” she said.
“I just wanted to say thank you for supporting us. Hopefully, you can keep supporting us throughout the tournament and hopefully we can bring it home.”
Kanyemba and her technical bench are currently based in Casablanca, where Zambia will play a series of preparatory matches before moving to Rabat for the tournament.
The Copper Princesses will begin their World Cup campaign against Japan on 18 October, before facing Venezuela on 21 October. Their final Group D match will be against France on 24 October.
The 10th edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will feature 24 teams, with Africa represented by five nations, including hosts Morocco.
Zambia will be making its fourth appearance at the tournament, having previously qualified for the 2014, 2024 and 2025 editions.
