Copper Queens Coach Nora Häuptle Breaks Silence on Copper Queens’ WAFCON Elimination
Copper Queens head coach Nora Häuptle has expressed her disappointment with the CAF competition regulations after Zambia’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign ended despite collecting six points in Group C.
Zambia, Nigeria and Malawi all finished the group stage level on six points, creating a rare three-way tie. Under the tournament regulations, the head-to-head results among the tied teams were applied before overall goal difference to determine the final positions.
Nigeria finished top of the group after defeating Zambia in their meeting, while Malawi secured second place and progressed to the quarter-finals. Zambia, despite recording victories in two of their three group matches, were eliminated after the tiebreak calculations went against them.
Reflecting on the outcome, Häuptle admitted that the situation was difficult to accept and said she felt particularly disappointed after seeing her team finish with six points but still fail to advance.
The Swiss coach’s frustration comes from what was an extremely competitive Group C, where the Copper Queens remained firmly in contention until the final whistle of the group stage. Zambia also produced one of the tournament’s most emphatic opening performances with their commanding victory over Egypt.
Despite the heartbreak, Häuptle and her players can take pride in the performances delivered throughout the competition. The elimination has once again highlighted how fine the margins can be at major tournaments, where results between directly competing teams can ultimately determine who advances.
For the Copper Queens, the focus now shifts beyond WAFCON as the team looks to learn from the experience and return stronger in future continental competitions.
