Copper Queens Set to Face Angola in WAFCON Qualifiers with Third Consecutive Qualification in Sight

Copper Queens Set to Face Angola in WAFCON Qualifiers with Third Consecutive Qualification in Sight

The Zambia women’s national football team, known as the Copper Queens, is gearing up for a two-legged qualifier against Angola for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Having achieved their highest-ever finish with a third-place position in the last WAFCON tournament in 2022, the Copper Queens are eyeing a third consecutive qualification.

The first leg is scheduled to take place in Angola during the weekend of November 24-26, with the return leg set for the first week of December in Zambia. The winner of this encounter will secure a spot in the 2024 WAFCON.

Andrew Kamanga, the President of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), expressed the goal of making it three times in a row to be part of the WAFCON. The Copper Queens’ recent success includes finishing third in the 2022 WAFCON, which also marked their qualification for the World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Kamanga is optimistic that a successful WAFCON qualification will set the stage for a strong performance in the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers. In February next year, Zambia is scheduled to face Ghana in a two-legged fixture to determine the representative of Africa at the Olympic football tournament. The winner of this tie will progress to face either Morocco or Tunisia in the final round.

Kamanga expressed confidence in the women’s game’s growth and stated, “We believe there is enough room to add more accolades to the women’s game.” Zambia, having been the sole representative of Africa at the 2021 Olympics football tournament, aims to make a return in 2024.