Copper Queens celebrate winning COSAFA title - Photo Courtesy FAZ Media.
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) President Andrew Kamanga believes the Coppers Queens have garnered enough experience to take aim at lifting the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy in Morocco.
The draw for the 15th edition WAFCON took place on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Salé, Morocco. The ceremony marked the symbolic start of the competition, which will run from July 5 to 26, 2025.
Zambia were drawn in Group A alongside Morocco, DR Congo and Senegal. As hosts and finalists of the previous edition, Morocco will be under pressure to meet the expectations of the home crowd.
“The Copper Queens learnt of their opponents for the Morocco 2025 Women Africa Cup of Nations and will be in Group A alongside the hosts, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are no easy matches at this level but given the gains we have made over the last few years, we will be looking beyond this group,” said Kamanga in a statement obtained by Pan-Africa Football.
“Having won bronze at the last WAFCON and went on to participate at the FIFA World Cup and Olympics we have garnered enough experience to be aiming for the crown. Expectedly we will have to work hard to achieve this goal.
“On our part, we will line up a preparatory program in liaison with the technical bench. We are excited that our top players are hitting the right headlines on the global stage. Captain Barbra Banda and striker Rachael Kundananji have had memorable debuts in the United States of America. There is a rising cadre of players from our local league and junior teams to add stiff competition to our set up. Things can only better for our women game.”
The Copper Queens will be looking to better their previous best record when they reaped bronze at the 2022 WAFCON held in Morocco. It will be another battle against the Atlas Lionesses after the Copper Queens defeated Morocco in the Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifiers, and matches between the two sides are not easy.
Zambia will also renew their rivalry with Senegal, a team they defeated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 WAFCON en route to their highest-ever success at the biggest women’s football showpiece in Africa.
Group B has Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana while defending champions South Africa will battle Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania in Group C. The WAFCON will take place from 5 to 26 July 2025 and will see 12 of the best national teams battling it out for the coveted title.
The three groups of four teams each will produce the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout stages.
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