By Benedict Tembo
Zambia returns to the global stage today as the Copper Queens face the United States of America in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the country’s quest for the first Olympics football medal.
Drawn into Group B, they face a crop of some of the toughest opponents in the US, Germany, and Australia.
The Copper Queens will hope to outdo their World Cup performance where they lost two and won one match in 2022.
It is only their second time in their history that the Copper Queens will be one of 12 nations contesting women’s Olympic football at Paris 2024.
The Copper Queens made their debut at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games – their first ever major international tournament, held in 2021 where they were the only African team.
The Copper Queens played against top teams such as Netherlands and Brazil and didn’t do well. They began the competition with a 10-3 demolition at the hands of the Netherlands.
They drew against China 4-4 in the match Barbara Banda announced her arrival on the world stage by netting hat-trick.
They concluded their maiden participation in the Olympics with a 1-0 defeat to highly fancied Brazil in their final group game.
But the experience was worthwhile as the Copper Queens have never looked back. They qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making the country the first in Africa to qualify for a senior World Cup in either gender.
But the Copper Queen’s dreams of reaching the round 16 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup were dashed after they were thrashed 5-0 by Spain in their second Group C clash in Auckland, New Zealand.
Spain and Japan became the first two countries to pass through to the knockout stages of the World Cup after impressive 5: 0 victories over Zambia.
But they now have enough experience and quality to face any side.
They have in their lineup one of the world’s most in-form strikers Barbara Banda who has taken the American league by storm. Alongside Banda will be Racheal Kundananji and a plethora of other equally deadly strikers.
And they have a morale boosting message from President Hakainde Hichilema.
President Hichilema has taken to social media to wish the Copper Queens and the entire Zambian contigent at the Olympics.
“One day to go. Best of luck to our 32 Olympians representing Zambia at the “Paris2024” olympics; Judo, Athletics, Boxing, Football, Swimming & more. Let’s unite and support them on this incredible journey. #TeamZambia’s excellence is our nation’s pride #ZambiaKuChalo,” President Hichilema wrote on his Facebook page.
After today’s contest against the former world champions, Zambia will return to the Nice Stadium to face Australia on July 28 and close the group against even more crucially Germany on July 31.
Should Zambia make it through to the knockout stages, they play the quarter-finals on August 3, semi-finals on August 6 and the Bronze medal match on August 9 or the Gold medal match on August 10.
The cup winner will come from this group. A very tough group indeed.
The coach is misplaced mind, those are not events to show ka potbelly.
If Ba Bruce stay away from the touchline and Florence and Thala cheer the girls then Zambia will win a bronze.
Bruce Mwape knows nothing about defence. Andrew Kamanga should have hired a defencive coach…. but Kamanga is only concerned with how much money he can stuff in his pockets
Keep Bruce Mwape, add a defencive coach to the bench
Unfortunately we won’t be able to see the game due to loadshedding.
I’ll watch it. We will beat US and we will win the cup!
I thought the US would beat us by a bigger margin. We have no defense.
27 minutes into the game, Zambian very disorganized, goalkeeper kikiki
Very poor defence
That is Bruce Mwape football. Andrew Kamanga is sleeping at the job, as usual. He should have added a defensive specialist to the technical bench
At least HH is not to blame for this 3-0 loss this time. BM (Mwape) is to blame, he has outlived his usefulness.
No. FAZ have outlived their usefulness. Andrew Kamanga has had enough time on the job to see that Bruce Mwape knows nothing about defense. Kamanga should have added a dedicated defensive specialist to the technical bench. This was clear when Japan beat us 5-0 and Spain beat us 5-0
HH has given this team far more resources than any president has given any national men or women’s national team, since the days of KK11. He has sent them on extended camps in Europe, Asia, Latin America and even Oceania. There is nothing more the government of HH can do. At this point, this is all on FAZ.