COSAFA Women’s Championship: Zambia will not underrate Eswatini – Haalubono

Zambia women’s national team assistant coach Charles Haalubono says the Copper Queens will not underrate Eswatini in their final Group B match at the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Polokwane, South Africa on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of the match against Eswatini which will be played at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Haalubono said Zambia will not make the mistake of underrating their opponents, who drew 1-1 against Botswana yesterday.

Haalubono noted Eswatini is a formidable opponent, which is why they are at the tournament.

Zambia must respect Eswatini

“The worst mistake a coach can make is to underrate any opponent. It’s not a good thing. We must respect them; that’s why they are at this competition. They are a good team and they are here to compete,” said Haalubono.

Haalubono admitted Zambia’s failure to be clinical in the final third in yesterday’s game against Zimbabwe, which saw the two neighbouring countries play to a scoreless draw.

The Green Buffaloes Women’s team gaffer said the technical bench has worked on sharpening the team’s finishing.

“Today, we try to work on our finishing and also see how we can penetrate and exploit the wings so that we can get more goals. It is a disappointing result for Zimbabwe game but the good part is that we created chances. The only thing we are telling our players is to be more clinical at finishing,” he added.

He acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in midfield, which he said led to a lack of creativity.

“We need to improve on our joining in the midfield. The joining of our midfielders was a bit slow; so, we have to work on that.”

Haalubono hints at making changes to starting XI

Haalubono has hinted at ringing changes ahead of the Eswatini tie, adding there will be some tactical adjustments to the team.

“The main reason why we are here is to assess players and the team in terms of performance and team coordination; so, we have to give a chance to all the players. We are going to make changes to give opportunity to all the players,” the coach explained.

Meanwhile, Haalubono disclosed there are injury concerns in camp after Eneless Phiri and Memory Nthala picked up knocks in the game against Zimbabwe.

The coach also said Rhodah Chileshe has started light training following her injury sustained during training last week. Striker Sampa Chisanga said although the team did not win against Zimbabwe, she is hopeful it will perform better against Eswatini.

Chisanga said the team will be more focused in tomorrow’s (Tuesday) game and raise the tempo to get the best result.

“Our performance wasn’t so well but I still have hope; I feel like for the remaining games we need to be more strategic especially being that we are the local players missing our stars so that we can bring the cup home,” said Sampa.

She personally promised to improve her game against Eswatini after admitting she struggled to find her feet in yesterday’s match.

The defending champions trained at the Northern Academy Football/Rugby pitch in Polokwane as preparations stepped up for their decisive Group B fixture.

Curro High School has been the Copper Queens’ training base, but the squad shifted to Northern Academy for a change of surface. Following a 0-0 stalemate with neighbours Zimbabwe at Seshego Stadium, Zambia will be keen to find their cutting edge when they face Eswatini.

She personally promised to improve her game against Eswatini after admitting she struggled to find her feet in yesterday’s match.

The defending champions trained at the Northern Academy Football/Rugby pitch in Polokwane as preparations stepped up for their decisive Group B fixture.

Curro High School has been the Copper Queens’ training base, but the squad shifted to Northern Academy for a change of surface. Following a 0-0 stalemate with neighbours Zimbabwe at Seshego Stadium, Zambia will be keen to find their cutting edge when they face Eswatini.

Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship Clash Set for Decisive Group B Showdown

Zambia women’s national team assistant coach Charles Haalubono has warned against complacency ahead of the crucial Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship Group B encounter in Polokwane, South Africa.

The Copper Queens will face Eswatini at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday, knowing that the result could determine their progression to the knockout stages of the regional tournament.

Speaking ahead of the match, Haalubono made it clear that Zambia will not underestimate Eswatini, who impressed with a 1-1 draw against Botswana.

Zambia Must Respect Eswatini in COSAFA Women’s Championship

Ahead of the Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship fixture, Haalubono emphasized the importance of respecting every opponent.

“The worst mistake a coach can make is to underrate any opponent. It’s not a good thing. We must respect them; that’s why they are at this competition. They are a good team and they are here to compete,” Haalubono said.

Eswatini’s performance against Botswana demonstrated their resilience and ability to compete at this level. As defending champions, Zambia understand that every opponent will be highly motivated to cause an upset.

For official tournament updates, see the COSAFA platform:
https://cosafa.com/

Finishing and Midfield Creativity Key in Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship

Zambia are coming off a disappointing 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe at Seshego Stadium. While the Copper Queens created several chances, they lacked clinical finishing in the final third.

Haalubono acknowledged the team’s shortcomings and revealed that the technical bench has worked on improving finishing drills ahead of the Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship encounter.

“Today, we try to work on our finishing and also see how we can penetrate and exploit the wings so that we can get more goals,” he explained.

He also admitted there were issues in midfield coordination.

“We need to improve on our joining in the midfield. The joining of our midfielders was a bit slow; so, we have to work on that.”

Improved midfield transitions and sharper attacking execution will be essential if Zambia are to regain their cutting edge.

Possible Changes Ahead of Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship Fixture

Haalubono hinted at tactical adjustments and potential changes to the starting XI for the Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship clash.

“The main reason why we are here is to assess players and the team in terms of performance and coordination; so, we have to give a chance to all the players. We are going to make changes to give opportunity to all the players.”

Squad rotation could inject fresh energy into the lineup while allowing fringe players to stake their claim.

However, injury concerns may influence selection decisions. Eneless Phiri and Memory Nthala picked up knocks in the Zimbabwe match, while Rhodah Chileshe has only recently resumed light training after an earlier injury setback.

Players Determined to Raise the Tempo

Striker Sampa Chisanga admitted the team’s performance against Zimbabwe fell short but expressed confidence ahead of the decisive Zambia vs Eswatini COSAFA Women’s Championship encounter.

“Our performance wasn’t so well but I still have hope. For the remaining games, we need to be more strategic, especially since we are local players missing our stars so that we can bring the cup home,” she said.

Chisanga also vowed to improve her individual performance after struggling to find rhythm in the previous match.

The Copper Queens trained at the Northern Academy Football/Rugby pitch in Polokwane as preparations intensified. Although Curro High School has been their primary training base, the shift to a different surface was intended to simulate match conditions more effectively.