Zambia Women’s National Team midfielder Evarine Susan Katongo has underlined unity, competition, resilience and an unrelenting hunger for success as key takeaways from the Copper Queens’ just-ended local camp, as preparations intensify for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026.
Katongo was part of the 38-member provisional squad named by head coach Nora Elizabeth Häuptle, as the Copper Queens took their first steps toward continental glory and a historic push for Brazil 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification. Speaking after camp broke, the experienced midfielder painted a vivid picture of a group driven by ambition and collective responsibility.
“So far so good, the camp has been okay. Everyone has been pushing and everyone has been expressing herself to showcase what they can do. And this camp has really helped us to be united. We as the local players who entered camp in this camp have really helped us to see where we are making mistakes and correct them during the training sessions.”
Competition for places, Katongo revealed, was intense, with every player aware of what is at stake as the final squad for Morocco takes shape.
“The competition was very high because everyone was pushing and everyone really wants to be on the final list which will travel to Morocco or Afcon. So the competition was very hard and everyone was really working very hard.”
Beyond AFCON glory, Katongo made it clear that the Copper Queens are already looking further ahead, with lessons learned from previous global outings shaping a renewed mindset.
“We as players… Our main target is to qualify for the World Cup when we go to the World Cup. We want to reach the semi-finals. We don’t want to perform like the way we did in the last World Cup. But we want to go an extra mile and find ourselves qualifying for the World Cup.”
Central to the team’s identity is the rallying cry “Copper to Gold”, a slogan Katongo says has become more than words—it is fuel.
“This motto (copper to gold) is more like a motivation for us because we want to get the gold medal when we go to the Africa Cup. We want to become champions and we want to bring the trophy back home. So this same ‘copper to gold’ is really a motivation for us because it’s really making us stay focused for us to achieve and get that gold medal.”
With domestic leagues still ongoing, Katongo stressed the importance of maintaining intensity even outside national team duty, noting that consistency at club level will be crucial to Zambia’s continental and global ambitions.
“Players, we need to stay focused during training sessions at our clubs. We don’t have to relax because the leagues are still on. And with the leagues being on, they’re going to help us to keep fit and also to maintain our momentum and also our focus during the training sessions. Even when we are called back for the World Cup. The national team, we won’t be down but our performance will just be going up.”
The camp also coincided with a deeply personal moment for the Green Buffaloes Women’s Football Club star, who showed remarkable strength in the face of loss.
“There’s really been a challenge but you know work is work. Despite me losing my brother, I’m still supposed to stay focused and concentrate during training sessions. To focus on the tournament which is ahead of us.”
A veteran of two WAFCON tournaments (2022 and 2024), Katongo knows expectations are high—and she is ready to carry them.
“I think for me, this will not be my first time going to the Africa Cup, so people are expecting a lot from me. So I’m supposed to work hard and perform even better. Better than the previous AFCON tournaments which I played in.”
Zambia have been drawn in Group C alongside defending champions Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt, with the tournament set to run from March 17 to April. The stakes are immense, as the top four teams at WAFCON will automatically qualify for the Brazil 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
