Africa-Press – Zambia. Zambia Women’s National team head coach Bruce Mwape has reiterated his sentiments of the Copper Queens needing high profile friendly matches despite their COSAFA Women’s Championship triumph.
Mwape says the tournament was the first step in the teams preparations for the 2023 New Zealand and Australia FIFA Women’s World Cup. Mwape is delighted to finally lead the team to their first COSAFA title after trying for some time.
“This tournament is the first step in our program of preparing for the World Cup so going forward we are planning to arrange high profile friendly games. This tournament can only maybe give you an idea because some of the teams we played are weaker sides so we need to play teams that can give us stiff competition so that we assess ourselves going forward,” Mwape said.
“It has taken a long time for us to lift the cup. It’s good that today we have made it. Am sure the players and the FA are happy. Since I took over about four years ago we have been trying to win it and finally we have managed. Kudos to the players, they worked hard.”
“This is a tournament we wanted to test players we want to add to the team, we have already identified one or two players,” he added.
Goalkeeper Catherine Musonda who was named as the goalkeeper of the tournament has vowed to continue working hard to maintain her high level performance.
“I am very happy, I did not expect to win this award, even the goalkeeper from South Africa had a good shot at winning it. I’m still in disbelief that I won,” she said.
“We started the tournament well, we worked as a team and lifted each other whenever we made mistakes, it was a tough final, we thought we would even play post match penalties.”
“I’m very happy to win this accolade, It is not easy, I will not end here. I want to continue working so that I can even win again next year,” she added.
Meanwhile, Skipper of the side Barbra Banda who was named as the player of the tournament and top goalscorer said the team deserved to win the tournament because of their hard work.
Banda believes the team is moving at a very good pace because everyone is determined and hard working. “It feels good at this moment because I fought hard to help the team, I think I deserve this,” she said.
“It has not been easy but we worked hard and put in every effort as a team so I feel we deserve the Cup.
It feels amazing to lift the Cup. It is my first time to lift the Cup for Zambia. It feels so amazing and I am sure we managed to put smiles on our fans back home.”
“The players have been determined, they have been working hard, everyone has been pushing and putting in a lot of effort so as a team we are moving at a good pace,” she added.
Zambia edged South Africa 1-0 to win their first ever COSAFA Women’s Championship title. Barbra Banda scored a beautiful header in extra time to seal the victory.
The Copper Queens qualified to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Morocco Women’s Africa Cup of Nations where they went on to clinch bronze medals.
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