Zambia have shown a rapid improvement in recent years, culminating in a debut at the Women’s World Cup, which follows their promising showing at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Zambia booked their place after finishing third at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco in July last year. They lost 1-0 to South Africa in the semifinals but beat Nigeria by the same scoreline to claim the bronze medal. The top four teams in that competition earned a place at the World Cup.
WORLD CUP GROUP C
Fixtures (kick-offs SA time):
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July 22 v Japan (09h00)
July 26 v Spain (09h30)
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July 31 v Costa Rica (09h00)
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WORLD CUP RECORD
1991-2019: Did not qualify
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THE COACH
Bruce Mwape has been coach of Zambia since May 2018 and overseen the improvement in the side, also leading them to a first ever COSAFA Women’s Championship title in 2022.
Mwape was previously coach of MTN Super League club Nchanga Rangers and has spent the last five years building a squad to first win their regional title, then finish top three in Africa, earn a place at the Olympic Games and now the World Cup.
THE CAPTAIN
Barbra Banda is the star of the side and chief source of goals having netted two hattricks at the Olympic Games, the winner in the COSAFA Women’s Championship final last year and netted twice in Zambia’s famous 3-2 win over Germany last Friday. That they finished third at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations without her makes you wonder what they might have done had she been able to compete in the tournament. She is quick, strong and knows where the goal is. She could be a real star of the tournament Down Under.
STAR PLAYER
Banda is the star player, but not far behind is another forward in Rachael Kundananji. Her goals have been crucial to Zambia of late, including in their win over Germany. She has also been banging them in for Madrid FC in the Spanish league, netting an incredible 25 in 29 appearances this past season. She represented Zambia at the Olympics but also missed the Women’s Afcon in 2022.
THEIR PROSPECTS
Zambia will go into the tournament as underdogs in the pool, but their win over Germany showed their incredible potential.
Japan and Spain present very difficult assignments, but Zambia will certainly feel they can get something from the game against Costa Rica and that could be enough to reach the next stage if they can get a draw from something from either of the first two games.
They will not struggle for goals, this is a team that scores, but like at the Olympics in Tokyo, they can be found wanting defensively and that is where the biggest danger lies.
They lost 5-2 and 5-0 to South Korea in friendlies in April, and that shows the other side of this team.
Spain might be a bit of a free hit where they are not expected to get anything from the game, but four points from Japan and Costa Rica would make it interesting.
THEIR SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Catherine Musonda (Tomiris-Turan, Kazakhstan), Eunice Sakala (Nkwazi Queens), Hazel Nali (Fatih Vatan Spor, Turkey)
Defenders: Margaret Belemu (Shanghai Shengli, China), Lushomo Mweemba (Green Buffaloes), Esther Banda (BUSA), Agness Musesa (Green Buffaloes), Judith Soko (YASA), Vast Phiri (ZESCO United), Mary Mulenga (Red Arrows), Martha Tembo (BIIK Shymkent, Kazakhstan)
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Midfielders: Evarine Katongo (ZISD), Mary Wilombe (Red Arrows), Susan Banda (Red Arrows), Avell Chitundu (ZESCO United), Xiomara Mapepa (Elite Ladies), Ireen Lungu (BIIK Shymkent, Kazakhstan), Hellen Chanda (BIIK Shymkent, Kazakhstan)
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Forwards: Lubandji Ochumba (Red Arrows), Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli, China), Hellen Mubanga (Zaragoza, Spain), Grace Chanda (Madrid, Spain), Racheal Kundananji (Madrid, Spain)
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