Copper Queens Coach Mwape Commends His Players’ Performance

Copper Queens Coach Mwape Commends His Players’ Performance

Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape has praised his team for securing qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifier. Barbra Banda’s two goals ensured a 3-2 aggregate victory over Morocco, booking Zambia’s ticket to Paris.

“The game we played this evening was very tough. Even back home when we played them, it wasn’t easy,” Mwape commented in a post-match interview. “They managed to beat us when they came to Zambia, but we’ve managed to carry the day this evening,” he added, acknowledging Morocco’s resilience.

“It’s good for our team, not only beating them but also qualifying for the Olympics, which is what we were fighting for.”

Reflecting on the tactical adjustments made, Mwape noted, “The difference is that we’ve won 2-0 this time. When they came to Zambia, they beat us 2-1. But when we played in Zambia, we actually saw the tactics they were using, and we thought of making a few changes in our approach to today’s game. It actually paid off.”

“In the first leg, some players were rested. We had to put in new players to suit the system we wanted to use when preparing for the game,” he added.

Zambia has been drawn in Group C alongside USA, Germany, and Australia at the Olympics.