Buoyant Young Queens eye Young Scorchers scalp

Zambia Under-20 Women National Team will tomorrow square off with the young scorchers of Malawi in a Costa Rica 2022 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier, second round, first leg match.

Team captain Susan Evarine Katongo has expressed confidence ahead of Friday’s clash and believes the girls will do everything to get maximum points.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Thursday morning, Katongo said the team had prepared adequately for the encounter.

“We are confident that we will win tomorrow’s game. The morale is very high, and everyone is willing to bring our country up,” Katongo said.

“The preparations are going on well, we are all competing because everyone wants to make the final team.”

“We need their support, and we are promising them that we are going to do our best to win this game, it means a lot and we need a win,” Katongo said.

The 18-year-old midfielder was one of the youngest players at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with the Copper Queens.

Meanwhile, Coach Charles Haalubono is targeting a win at home. The Green Buffaloes Women’s football club boss has also confirmed that Indeni Roses defender Thelma Phiri will miss the match due to injury.

“The preparation are been going on well. The team is looking good now. This is a home game so we look forward to getting a victory in this game,” he said.

” Yes we have injuries, some are minor, But we have Thelma Phiri who has a knee injury and has been rested for this game.”

“We have Psyched our players because when we played South Africa at home some looked jittery but when we played away they performed well, and am sure they will respond,” he added.

Zambia and Malawi met last year in an international friendly match and it was the Young Copper Queens who came out victorious but Haalubono is not depending on past glory but rather hard work.

“Yes we played them last year but mostly U-20 players graduate and teams keep improving. We can’t use that previous glory, so we will just have to work hard and overcome the challenge,” he said.

“This is a home game so for me, we should be conscious enough when we are attacking and be warry of counter-attacks. We need to get goals at home,” he added.

Zambia will host the junior Scorchers of Malawi at Nkoloma Stadium with the match being played behind closed doors with kick-off set at 15:00hrs.

The Young Queens will then travel to Lilongwe for the second leg to be played on 9th October 2021 at Bingu National Stadium.

The winner between Zambia and Malawi will face Ghana in the next round of qualifiers after Mauritania pulled out of the race to Costa Rica.