Häuptle Confident Ahead of Copper Queens’ Malawi Clash
Copper Queens head coach Nora Häuptle believes Zambia’s destiny remains firmly in their own hands as the team prepares for a decisive Group C clash against Malawi at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat, Morocco.
Zambia will face the Scorchers at Al Madina Stadium on Tuesday night, knowing that victory will secure a place in the quarter-finals. Following the narrow defeat to defending champions Nigeria, the Copper Queens are determined to bounce back and keep their continental title ambitions alive.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Häuptle said the squad is approaching the must-win fixture with confidence and a positive mindset, stressing that the focus remains on performance rather than external calculations.
“We are in a very good situation. It’s all in our hands. Of course, we have seen all these calculations, but we don’t go out and calculate tomorrow on the pitch. We go out and focus on our performance, as always,” she said. “We have a clear approach to how we want to face Malawi. I think we played three very good halftimes out of the last four, and we want to build on this stable approach.”
Häuptle also expects a tightly contested match, noting that both teams are well matched and familiar with each other’s strengths.
“This squad is as equal to us. They have top players on the club level, and they have players abroad; they also have good players in the squad behind the top players. So it’s a very similar team in the picture to our team,” she explained. “We know about their strength. We also played against each other a lot, so players know each other. Tactic-wise, there are not so many secrets, I would say, in this game, but again, we bounce back to us.”
The Swiss tactician also provided an update on star forward Racheal Kundananji, who was forced off during the match against Nigeria. Häuptle revealed that the striker is being treated for a muscle strain sustained during the contest, with the medical team continuing to assess her condition ahead of the crucial showdown.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Hazel Nali echoed the coach’s sentiments, saying the Copper Queens are fully aware of what is at stake and are determined to deliver for the nation.
“We know exactly what we want and we know exactly what’s on the table. Our main focus is to work extra hard because football is played on the pitch. What we want as a team is to fight and give our all for the country,” Nali said.
She added that Zambia will not be influenced by past encounters with Malawi, insisting that only the present performance will matter.
“When you’re playing football, you don’t play based on history. We’re not moved or shaken by the past matches we’ve played against Malawi. What is going to count is how we display ourselves tomorrow,” she said.
Nali also called for unity within the squad as they prepare to deal with Malawi’s pace and attacking threat, while highlighting the importance of collective effort.
“We want to play as a team because we’re in this together and we want to do this together. The team we’re going to play has players with speed, just like we have in training with Barbra Banda, Rachael Kundananji and the others. That is something we’re working on as a team. It may be considered one of our weaknesses, but trust me, we’re working on it and hopefully we’ll get it right in tomorrow’s game,” she said.
With everything to play for, the Copper Queens will be aiming to produce a commanding display against Malawi and keep their WAFCON dream alive.
