WAFCON: DR Congo will aim to prove a point against Zambia – Mweemba

Zambia women’s national team captain Lushomo Mweemba has cautioned Copper Queens not to underrate DR Congo whom they face off in the final fixture from Group A of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday.

The Copper Queens will be eying qualification to the quarter-finals against a side, who have zero chance to advance having lost their two opening matches – 4-0 against Senegal, and 4-2 against the Atlas Lionesses.

Meanwhile, Zambia recovered from their 2-2 draw against hosts Morocco to beat Senegal 3-2 and keep alive their hopes of reaching the last eight. A victory for Zambia over DR Congo would secure them a place in the quarter-finals, potentially as group winners depending on the result of the Morocco versus Senegal encounter.

However, Mweemba insists despite DR Congo being eliminated after back-to-back defeats, the Copper Queens are not letting their guard down.

“Now we face DR Congo, a team that has not had the best run so far. But we are not taking them lightly. This is still WAFCON, and we know they will be coming out to prove a point,” Mweemba told journalists at the pre-match press conference in Rabat as quoted by FAZ Media.

“Just because they have been eliminated does not mean they won’t fight. We are preparing for a competitive match, and our mindset remains the same that we are here to win.”

Reflecting on the journey so far, Mweemba said: “We started this tournament with a tough draw against the hosts Morocco, and that result really challenged us to step up.

“I think as a team, we responded very well in our second game against Senegal. It was a high-pressure match, but we fought hard and came out with a 3-2 win. That performance gave us confidence, but also reminded us that every game demands full focus.”

On facing DR Congo, who have conceded eight goals already, Mweemba offered: “Yes, they have conceded four goals in each of their previous matches, and naturally, we would love to capitalize on that and score more. But at the same time, we must remain disciplined at the back. Clean sheets are just as important to us. We can’t afford to concede carelessly.

“I can’t stand here and predict the number of goals we will score, but what I can say is that we are going all out. We have high standards for ourselves and we are determined to finish strong. We want to keep building momentum and continue representing Zambia with pride.”

As it stands, Morocco are topping the pile with four points, the same number as Zambia but the hosts enjoy a better goal aggregate. Senegal are third with three points while DR Congo stay last without a single point.