For a long period, it has been very difficult to have a natural left-footer at the back in the Copper Queens squad, however, with the coming in of the overlapping full-back Judith Soko it would be interesting to see how she fits in especially has been excellent for the Under-17 and 20 Women’s National Teams.
Judith Soko was born on 30th March 2004 and 10 years later she discovered her talent which is Football that’s when she joined her first team St. Mary’s Academy in the amateur league was she only spent a year playing a total of 15 games.
In 2017, Soko switched to Olympic Flying Queens which is now called Garden Youth Academy Girls, a factory for a good number of talented players like Indeni Roses Jackeline Nkole, Natasha Chanda, and Serah Moyo, Thelma Phiri among others.
She spent 2 years at Olympic Flying Queens then coached by Joshua Mazimba and featured 12 times before she was spotted by YASA Queens (Youth Armoury Soccer Academy) based in Hellen Kaunda, Lusaka Province.
Soko who is fondly known as Zeide joined YASA Queens in 2019 and up to date, she’s one of the dependable players not only at YASA but even at the National Team level.
During the 2019/20 FAZ Women’s League season under Lusaka Province, Soko scored 4 goals plus 4 assists in 27 league games before scoring 8 goals coupled with a remarkable 16 assists despite her being a defender from 2021 up to date in her 43 appearances for the Stubborn YASA Queens.
Soko had a short loan spell with Zambia’s record league holders Green Buffaloes in the middle of last season and she was part of the squad that traveled to the Inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League TotalEnergies| COSAFA Zone in South Africa with the Zambia Army-sponsored side before going back to YASA at the start of the just-ended season which saw them coming out as runners-up to Buffaloes.
Soko got her first national team call-up in 2020 after an impressive season and immediately she made a mark as she was named in the final team that traveled to South Africa for the second edition of the COSAFA Under-17 Girls Championship with Coach Kaluba Kangwa.
She played all the games at the tournament, unfortunately, the Copper Princesses were denied Gold Medals after walking away with Silver after they controversially lost 4-3 on postmatch penalties to Tanzania in the final after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
After an impressive performance at the junior level, Soko got her maiden senior national team call-up in February 2021 when the Copper Queens were scheduled to travel to Turkey for a series of friendly matches however that tournament was canceled.
Two months later, Soko was yet again part of the squad to play against South Africa in a friendly match as part of the preparations for the rescheduled Japan, Tokyo Olympics and despite traveling with the team in Johannesburg, Soko was an unused substitute on that day and unfortunately, she failed to make it in the final squad for the Olympics.
A few months later, Soko was part of the Under-20 team that had a date with Malawi in the second round of the 2022 Costa Rica FIFA U-20 Girls World Cup including against Ghana in the third round were unfortunately the Young Copper Queens failed to advance to the next round losing 1-nil to the Young Black Princesses.
Soko was recalled to the senior women’s national team after an impressive season and she made the final team for All-Stars dubbed as Copper Queens against The Rest which was a selection of Zone A and B’s finest players in a friendly match on 17th April 2022 at Edwin Imboela Stadium.
Ten days later, she made her national team debut in the friendly match against Botswana played at Woodlands Stadium after she took up the place of left-back Martha Tembo in the second half and went on to be given a first lineup berth 3 days later at Nkoloma Stadium in which she played the entire match against The Mares which ended 1-1 with Lushomo Mweemba scoring for Zambia while Radiakanyo was on the scoresheet for Botswana.
After an impressive shift against Botswana, she was named in the final team to play the last round of back-to-back qualifier match against Namibia in the 2022 Morocco Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in which they managed to make it to the tournament with a 1-nil aggregate scoreline thanks to Elite Ladies speedy winger Xiomara Mapepa’s goal away in South Africa.
Soko told the ZamFoot Crew that she’s elated being part of the team in Morocco.
“It’s a dream come true, it feels nice to represent the country, especially at this stage where the whole of Africa and the World at large will be watching and my target is to play a part too because together we can achieve alot and everyone desires to make it in the last top four and qualify to the World Cup,” Soko said in an exclusive interview with the ZamFoot Crew from Marrakech.
Soko recently recovered from an injury and she has been training with the Copper Queens squad currently in Morocco preparing for the upcoming 12th Edition of the WAFCON starting this weekend in which the Copper Queens are placed in Group B alongside old foes Cameroon who they will face on 3rd July before taking on Tunisia three days later and wrapping up their group assignment with a tie against debutants Togo on 9th July.
The semi-finalists from this tournament which will run from 2-23 July will automatically earn themselves a place in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand while two quarter-finalists will have to battle it out in the inter-continental playoffs for a spot at world’s biggest women’s event.
Judith has potential to go far in football. I watxhed her in a COSAFA tournament, which I thoughtthe girls had won but were robbed by atrixious referreing.
Just keep working at it young lady and the doors will soon be open