The stakes could hardly be higher as Zambia prepare to face Nigeria in a pivotal Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group C encounter, but Copper Queens head coach Nora Elizabeth Häuptle insists her side will remain true to its attacking identity.
The 42-year-old Swiss coach believes Zambia have evolved significantly since last year’s 5-0 quarter-final defeat to the Super Falcons and says her team has developed the tactical flexibility needed to challenge one of Africa’s traditional powerhouses.
“We are in a good mood,” Häuptle told reporters ahead of Saturday’s clash.
“The opening game for us went well, but we also know that the game against Nigeria will be a completely different game. So we keep our feet on the ground.
“We have worked here and there on certain things which we needed to adjust against Nigeria. The mood is perfect and we are good to go for tomorrow.”
Zambia head into the match in excellent form after a resounding 6-0 victory over Egypt, inspired by the captain Barbra Banda , who scored four goals to send the Copper Queens to the top of Group C with a goal difference of +6.
Nigeria, meanwhile, are under immense pressure after a surprise 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, leaving the ten-time African champions needing a positive result to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.
Despite the contrasting starts, Häuptle warned against reading too much into Nigeria’s defeat.
“They lost the opening game and they will come all in because they need to win this game. Otherwise, if they lose, they are out of the tournament.
“But I think you also need to look at their performance differently. Nigeria created chances and had a very good start against Malawi but missed opportunities.
“We are aware of their strength. We know they can raise their level. We are fully prepared and expect the full intensity from them.”
Rather than becoming preoccupied with Nigeria’s situation, Häuptle says her focus remains firmly on Zambia’s own performance.
“We are very focused on ourselves. We have a clear plan on how we are going to approach them.
“We discussed today that the execution of the plan is only as good as we bring it onto the pitch. We always come back to ourselves and focus on our task.
“We believe deeply that if we execute our plan perfectly, we are able to challenge and beat Nigeria.”
The former Switzerland international made it clear Zambia will not settle for a point despite knowing victory would guarantee qualification for the knockout stage.
“My team, Zambia, never plays for a draw. It’s not in our nature. We always chase for a lead in a game.”
Häuptle admitted last year’s heavy defeat remains an important learning experience but believes it has helped shape the current team.
“We took a lot of learnings from that game. We have become tactically much more flexible.
“I think we can also surprise Nigeria with one or two things that we have adjusted. We have grown as a team this year.
“We played the FIFA Series against top-20 teams in the world specifically to learn from those high-level games. All those experiences have made us stronger.”
While Nigeria have dominated this fixture historically, Häuptle insists past meetings will have little bearing on Saturday’s contest.
“We don’t count so much what the last defeat was. We are just carpe diem — living in today.
“Every game is a new challenge. I always feel joy in competing against one of the best teams in Africa.
“I’m curious to see how we enter the game, whether our approach works and whether we are able to execute the plan.”
The Swiss coach expects an intense battle and repeatedly referenced the team’s internal mantra of “Akalata”—a term she uses to describe relentless transitions in both attack and defence.
“I expect very high intensity. Against Nigeria we will need ‘Akalata’ going forward, but we also need ‘Akalata’ backwards.
“Our transitions into attack will be decisive, but our transitions in defence will be just as important.
“Our rest defence has to be properly set. When we attack, our defenders must already be covering their strikers in case we lose possession. That’s how we avoid dangerous counter-attacks.”
Häuptle explained that while Zambia’s footballing principles remain constant, every opponent requires a tailored tactical plan.
“Our principles always stay the same. For example, you must defend the inside channel towards goal. Those principles never change.
“But every opponent has different strengths and weaknesses.
“We know Nigeria’s attacking midfielders like to drive forward from deep, so we need to defend those movements.
“We also know where their weaknesses are and where the spaces can be found.
“I’m always curious to see whether I’ve made a good plan. You also have to be adaptive. You watch the first 20 minutes, see whether you have control of the game, and then there is always a second plan.”
Saturday’s encounter will be the fifth WAFCON meeting between the two nations. Nigeria have won three previous meetings, recording 6-0, 4-0 and 5-0 victories in 2014, 2018 and the 2024 edition, played in 2025. Zambia’s only success came in the third-place play-off at the 2022 finals when Evarine Susan Katongo scored the winner in a historic 1-0 triumph.
The Copper Queens also carry an impressive group-stage record into the contest. They are unbeaten in their last eight WAFCON group matches, with their last group-stage defeat coming against Nigeria on matchday two of the 2018 tournament.
Victory would send Zambia into the quarter-finals with a game to spare, while defeat for Nigeria would bring a stunning early end to the Super Falcons’ campaign and their hopes of securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
