Zambia FA boss hails U-17 team for COSAFA Championship feat

Zambia U-17: Photo Credit: Football Association of Zambia.

Newly appointed Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Keith Mweemba has saluted the country’s under-17 girls’ national football team for reaching Saturday's COSAFA Championship final.

Mweemba sent the message to the team after they beat Zimbabwe 5-1 on Friday, May 16, 2025, in the semi-final.

“On behalf of myself, the executive committee and the entire football family, I wish to congratulate the Under-17 women’s national team for qualifying for the finals of the Cosafa championship,” Mweemba told FAZ media.

“The win over Zimbabwe takes our country to a record fifth final appearance and stands within a historic third crown for our nation. We can only urge the team to win the title on Saturday and cement our reputation as regional queens.”

Mweemba said the COSAFA is a good warm-up for the Copper Princesses ahead of their participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup finals in Morocco. Mweemba says the team’s run at the tournament in Namibia is a perfect welcome for the newly elected executive committee.

Zambia face Malawi or Mozambique in the final at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday. It is the fifth COSAFA final for the defending champions since the tournament’s inception in 2019.