Injury Sidelines Sarah Jere’s Full Debut for Copper Queens in WAFCON Qualifiers

Injury Sidelines Sarah Jere’s Full Debut for Copper Queens in WAFCON Qualifiers

Zambia – The Copper Queens, Zambia’s women’s national football team, will miss the services of key players Sarah Jere and Eneless Phiri in their upcoming crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola. The assistant coach of the Copper Queens, Florence Mwila, confirmed that both Jere and Phiri are nursing injuries and won’t be available for the first leg of the qualifier.

Sarah Jere, who played a pivotal role in Zambia’s impressive performance at the Cosafa Women’s Championship in South Africa in October, was set to make her full debut for the national team. However, her dream has been put on hold as she grapples with an injury. Eneless Phiri, another integral part of the team, is also sidelined due to injury.

The absence of these key players is undoubtedly a blow for the Copper Queens as they aim for a positive start in the two-legged Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Zambia is scheduled to play the first leg away in Angola on November 29, with the return leg set to take place on December 5, 2023, at home.

The winner of this crucial tie between Zambia and Angola will secure qualification for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) scheduled to take place in Morocco next year. The Copper Queens, led by their coaching staff, will look to navigate these challenges and put forth a formidable performance in the absence of Jere and Phiri.

Both Sarah Jere and Eneless Phiri will be hoping for a swift recovery, especially with additional important fixtures on the horizon, including Olympic qualifiers against Ghana in February 2024. Their contributions are significant not only for the national team but also for their respective clubs in the early stages of the Zambian Women’s Super League.