2022AWCONQs: Bruce Mwape predicts a tough match…Declares Copper Queens ready
Zambia Women’s National Team head coach Bruce Mwape has predicted a tough match as the Copper Queens face Malawi this afternoon in the TotalEnergies Morocco 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifiers at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe at 15:00hrs.
Speaking in an interview with the ZamFoot Crew, Coach Mwape said the onus is on his lasses to rise to the occasion as they are a team to beat especially after their recent participation at the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan so every team they face is fighting hard to surprise them with a victory.
“Today’s game against Malawi won’t be easy, we have seen how they played at the just ended COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa. The way we performed at the Olympics in Japan makes our opponents come so strong on us and put up a challenge to surprise us, but we are ready for anything,” Mwape said.
Coach Mwape said despite missing some of the key foreign-based players, his current crop of young players is capable of doing the work and rising to the occasion.
“I think the absence of some of our foreign-based players due to Covid-19 restrictions will slightly affect the team especially in the striking force but we do have capable players who can do better. The juniors that we have in the team are also doing well so we will just encourage them because they can also deliver,” Mwape told the ZamFoot Crew.
“Am happy with the performance of Ochumba Oseke she’s slowly maturing and given enough game time she will be one of the best strikers in our National Team,” he added
Mwape heaped praise on Lusaka Dynamos Defender Margaret Mulenga who had a decent outing in COSAFA and at the same time the gaffer is happy with the availability of Buffaloes Defender Martha Tembo as this will help the team to work on their weak link which was the left-back position.
“We struggled on the left-back position in South Africa, we tried different players some could not manage because they play the different position but we were impressed with Lusaka Dynamos Defender Margaret Mulenga who did well and the return of Green Buffaloes Defender Martha Tembo in the team is a plus to us and we are so sure that weakness has been sorted out because of her experience.”
The Copper Queens gaffer said that the technical bench will approach this afternoon’s game with the much-needed cautiousness and the aim is to score an early goal and get a win in Malawi ahead of the return match next week.
“We are going to be cautious with Malawi especially in the opening few minutes, that will help us to gauge what kind of tactics to employ with the girls as the game unfolds and try to get an early goal to unsettle them and am sure that they will help us to finish off the game in Malawi.”
Mwape also appealed to supporters to rally behind the whole team by encouraging them to do better in their assignments.
“We are appealing to our supporters to encourage our players, this national team is for everyone its all about being patient and continuing to encourage the players to do better,” Mwape said.
Zambia and Malawi will Square off in the first leg, the first round of the TotalEnergies Africa Women’s Cup Of Nations 2022 Morocco (AWCON) Qualifiers this afternoon in Lilongwe at Bingu National Stadium with kick-off set at 15:00hrs.
The return match is expected to be played on 26th October 2021 in Lusaka with the overall aggregate winner facing either Namibia or Tanzania in the next round of qualifiers.