Zambia: 22-woman Copper Queens squad named for Olympics
A 22-player provisional squad for Zambia’s female national football team, for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been named, with almost all the players who helped the team to qualify being retained.
The squad chosen for the trip to Japan is to be reduced to 18 players as the final squad, are dominated by home-based players.
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The top striker for the qualifying campaign, Zesco United's Grace Chanda, who finished, with eight goals as well as Shanghai striker and captain Barbra Banda are among the notable inclusions. Head coach Bruce Mwape, who is leading Zambia to its first major senior international competition said having worked with the ladies and given the players available, the team he has selected have what it takes to make themselves, Zambia and Africa proud at the Olympics.
Olympics campaign
Ranked No. 104 in the world and 12th in Africa, the Copper Queens, as the Zambians are nicknamed, stunned the continent when they grabbed Africa’s sole ticket to the Games ahead of heavyweights as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroun and Ghana in the qualifiers in 2019 for the Games that was slated for 2020 but rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On route to their historic qualification, Zambia beat Cameroun on the away goal score after winning 2-1 in the second leg at home, though they lost 2-3 away in the first leg, as the qualifiers came to an end in March 2020.
In the qualifiers, they also beat Kenya ( 3-2)and Botswana (3-0) in the elimination stages of the competition.
Cameroun, who would have claimed a second slot for Africa, missed out after losing the one match play-off against Chile, the runners up from South America.
This will be the first time the southern African side will be making an appearance at the world stage, and it is considered a huge boost not just for the women’s game, but Zambia football, given that they are the first national football team to feature in the Olympics.
They compete in the 12-team tournament that starts on July 21 and ends on August 6, with the final.
Pitched in Group F, the Zambians will make their Olympic debut in the Olympics women’s football tournament against Brazil, The Netherlands and China.
The Copper Queens will begin their campaign on July 21 against The Netherlands, play Brazil on July 24 and complete their group campaign against Brazil on July 27.
The other 11 teams competing are Canada, Chile, England and Japan in Group E and Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the USA in Group G.
Zambia’s Olympic squad
With the hope of making history and returning to the Olympics with another sport, Zaragoza striker, Rachel Nachula, a 2008 Olympic runner-up has been left disappointed as injury has denied her a place in the squad for Tokyo.
A 400-metre runner, Nachula won the bronze medal at the 2008 African Championships, in a personal best time of 51.39 seconds. She also competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2006 World Junior Championships, the 2008 World Indoor Championships, and the 2008 Olympics before switching to football.
Also missing from the squad are Mary Mwakapila who plays for Hapoel Beer Sheva and Indeni Roses midfielder Misozi Zulu both of whom are nursing injuries.
ZAMBIA FULL SQUAD
Making it on the team for Japan are Hazel Nali (Hapoel Beer Sheva, Israel), Ngambo Musole (ZESCO Ndola Girls), Catherine Musonda (Indeni Roses), Margaret Belemu (Red Arrows), Martha Tembo (Green Buffaloes) and Esther Siamfuko (Queens Academy).
Also on the list are Lushomo Mweemba (Green Buffaloes), Anita Mulenga (Green Buffaloes), Agness Musesa (Green Buffaloes), Grace Chanda (Red Arrows), Fikile Xhosa (Red Arrows), Mary Wilombe (Red Arrows) and Ireen Lungu (Green Buffaloes), Ochumba Oseke Lubandji (Red Arrows), Esther Mukwasa (Indeni Roses), Suzeni Evaline Katongo (ZISD), Hellen Mubanga (Zaragoza CCF, Spain), Barbara Banda (Shanghai Shengli, China), Avell Chitundu (ZESCO Ndola Girls), Hellen Chanda (Red Arrows), Vast Phiri (ZESCO Ndola Girls) and Racheal Kundananji (BIIK Kazgurt, Kazakhstan) complete the list.