Herman Gibbs profiles Zambia’s Copper Queens as they gear up for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Zambia open their FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign with an encounter against Asian powerhouse Japan on Saturday.
The Copper Queens will be the second African team in action after Nigeria take on Canada on Friday.
Sports correspondent Herman Gibbs profiles Zambia’s Copper Queens ahead of their World Cup clash against Japan.
How they qualified:
Zambia squeezed past Cosafa rivals Malawi 4-3 on aggregate to reach the second-round stage. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic campaigners went on to edge another Cosafa neighbour, Namibia, on away goals rule to clinch their second consecutive and third qualification ticket after a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
Coach Bruce Mwape is highly optimistic heading to the World Cup calling it “history in the making but nothing is impossible. The results can go either way, and victory is possible.”
Zambia’s Copper Queens have finally cracked a Women’s World Cup ticket. They’re hoping to make their mark on the biggest stage in women’s football in their debut appearance.
As the winners of the COSAFA Women’s Cup Zambia (103) have promised to play an exemplary brand of football to bring happiness to the fans at home. They face Japan (13) in their opening World Cup match before facing European giants Spain (6). They finish off the group stage against Costa Rica (36).
Their best player is Barbara Banda, and she will be closely marked.
She is a scoring threat, as has been the case as she came through the youth ranks over the years.
She plays in Spain for the female club team, EDF Logrono in Laliga.
Banda is an outstanding forward and brings plenty of experience at soccer’s highest level.
The attacking midfielder Grace Chanda is one of the key players for Zambia.
In the past two seasons, she has won numerous awards in the FAZ Women’s National League including the ‘Best Player of the Season’ and ‘Top Scorer of the Year’ awards.
She plays for Kazakhstan champions BIIK Kazykurt, where she has made an instant mark, and helped the team win the Women’s Cup.
The players have had to deal with off-the-field issues, and this has affected the morale of the team. Reports say many members of the squad that will take part in the country’s first appearance at the Women’s World Cup have not been paid since competing at the Tokyo Olympics nearly two years ago.
Zambia face Japan in their opening match on Saturday having qualified by reaching the semi- Several sources close to the team said most of the players have yet to receive any payment for matches and up to 100 days of training since returning from the Olympics in August 2021.
It has been reported that Zambia’s players refused to train for two days before their friendly in Germany this month in protest of not being paid.
While at their base camp in New Zealand for the World Cup last week, players are believed to have taken part in silent protests that have included travelling to training and games without singing in their usual tradition.
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