Zambia Women’s National Team assistant coach Charles Haalubono has promised an entertaining game when the Copper Queens square off with the Scorchers of Malawi.
Haalubono will lead the team in the absence of Coach Nora Elizabeth Häuptle who did not travel after failing ill in her home country Switzerland.
The Green Buffaloes Women’s Football Club head coach believes this tournament will help the team start preparations for the WAFCON.
“Yeah, I think this is a preparation game for WAFCON, yeah, we have to take this game seriously. It should help us to start working on our team for the upcoming WAFCON, yeah,” he said.
“Yeah, you know, Malawi has been improving, getting better and better. Now they have managed to qualify to the WAFCON. Congratulations to the coach, the technical staff, and the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) for their job. Yes, we appreciate coming to our game, you know. Yes, we lost in Zambia, but that was a different game. This time is so different. We see how we can move and play. So far we have good players. We cannot complain about it. We’ll play and make sure the people are entertained.”
Haalubono says he will field a strong team against Malawi this afternoon as he wants to start strong in this tournament.
Zambia played Malawi in February at Woodlands and lost the second game 3-2 after winning the first game 2-0 but Haalubono says this is a different game altogether.
“Yeah, let them expect a very good team, a strong team. Yes, you know, preparation starts now. So we should start strong and make sure we see where we are supposed to improve, where we are supposed to do better, yes,” he said.
“Yes we lost 3-2 in February at home but that game is water under the bridge and this is a different game altogether. We will play this game with a mindset of winning it.”
“Yeah, we have a lot of things to work on. You know, football, you don’t have to take things lightly. All departments have to be fixed. We were there last time. You saw what happened. So that was like an eye-opener for us. So this time, we know what we are going to face. And with the help of the coach, who’s, you know, under the weather now, we wish her well. We’ll try to do our level best, yes,” he added.
Meanwhile skipper Rachel Kundananji also echoed the coaches sentiments saying the fans will be entertained when the two teams square off.
“Entertainment, it’s not just playing the game, but to entertain the fans because there is no game without the fans. The chanting of names, the noise and atmosphere that just makes the game amazing,” she said.
“You know, yes, it won’t be an easy game, you know, knowing that we’ve played Malawi so many times, and the last time we played against them we lost 3-2, but you know, all games are different, so even like, our team are ready for them, and we are well prepared because the coaches did their job, did their math, and they made sure that we are ready for tomorrow (today).”
On new players in the team Kundananji said the senior players are in welcoming them and making them feel at home.
“You know, it’s just easy just to make them feel comfortable around the team and make sure that they enjoy every moment. And, you know, we give them competition. We are not easy on them to say, oh, no, they are new or anything. We have to give them competition so that they show that they deserve to be in the team. So for the coaches to believe in them, we also need to do that because they are our teammates. There’s no other people here. It’s us now, and we have to work together. We have to be a team, and we have to support one another,” she said.
Kundananji says women’s football has now improved and games are closer now with more respectable scorelines.
The Bay FC forward was also quick to call on the corporate world to invest in Women’s Football which she says is on the rise.
“I think, you know, Malawi, I would say they are getting better. Not just Malawi, all the southern part teams, you know, I think there’s so much work which has been invested in the teams. And, you know, for the team to get better is the help that they are getting. We still need help, not just the Malawian team, not just Zambia, all the teams in Africa to say, like, we need help and people to invest in women’s football too. Because if you see what women’s football is doing, like, they are doing better because we are progressing every day. The tournaments are getting stronger and stronger than before. It’s been a long time since you heard that the team lost 9-0, 10-0. You know, now it’s 50-50, so there’s always competition because everybody is just, like, giving the competition and we need, you know, to continue as that,” she said.
“Yeah you know that’s our goal and you know it won’t be easy and you know being the team captain there’s so much expected from from the captain like you have to lead by example and everything but like that shouldn’t make you become big-headed or anything that should make you be the team player also to help others and to make sure that all players are comfortable playing around you and they are enjoying being around you so you know the team has been helpful not just for this game even the last qualifiers we played you know you saw what happened the first game. We scored two goals , conceded two goals, and stood up as a team and said no way we were losing this game , we came back and won that game 4-2. At home we said we will not concede and that’s the spirit I love about my team. Whatever we say, we usually do it because we believe in one another and we work towards whatever we say. The coaches we have are so amazing and they help us a lot.”
The two neighbors will face off at 17:00 hours at the Bingu National Stadium.
The tournament, featuring Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, is being used to prepare the Southern African teams ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The Three Nations Tournament, which began on 28th November, will conclude on 2nd December 2025.
This is a waste of time tournament