By Angela Bambala Bwalya
Zambia U17 Women’s National Team midfielder Precious Mwewa has urged the Copper Princesses to turn their disappointment into determination as they seek to revive their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup campaign following a heavy 5-0 defeat to Japan in Morocco.
Zambia endured a difficult start to their Group D campaign, conceding five goals in their opening match, but Mwewa insists the team must quickly move on, learn from their mistakes and focus on the remaining fixtures.
Reflecting on the defeat, the midfielder acknowledged the challenge posed by Japan but stressed that the result should not define Zambia’s tournament.
“The game was tough, and that’s my first game this year at the World Cup. Even though we lost, we just have to focus on the next game, and we are going to work on our mistakes we made last game,” Mwewa said.
With two group matches remaining, Mwewa believes the Copper Princesses still have an opportunity to respond positively and improve their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
The midfielder called on her teammates to work harder, remain focused and approach their upcoming fixtures with renewed determination.
“This is the first game, and we have two more games to play. So just work hard so that we can win, and maybe then we fight the next one,” she added.
Mwewa also appealed to Zambian supporters to continue backing the young team, promising that the players would work towards delivering a better performance in their next outing.
“Continue supporting us, and we make you proud in the next game,” she said.
The Copper Princesses will next face Venezuela on Wednesday before concluding their Group D campaign against France.
Venezuela also lost their opening match, going down 2-0 to France, leaving both sides looking to secure their first points of the tournament.
For Zambia, Wednesday’s encounter presents an important opportunity to respond to the Japan defeat and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
