Exceptional Esther Siamfuko out to impress

Playing at the highest level in football comes with its challenges and sometimes even the best of players just fail to come to the party.

However some players just fit in like a perfect piece in a puzzle and Copper Queens jersey number 4 Esther Siamfuko is one such player.

All the way from Choma, Starting her career with Choma Warriors, Esther walked straight into the starting lineup of the Zambia U-17 Women’s national team and earned herself the captaincy of the team in 2019.

At the young age 15/16, she showed great leadership skills and was very solid at the back. She put up great shifts for Zambia at the 2019 and 2020 COSAFA U-17 tournaments before being promoted to the U-20 and senior national team.

Siamfuko was the youngest player at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the age of 16 years and some days.

RIFU, JAPAN – JULY 21: Esther Siamfuko of Zambia and Renate Jansen of the Netherlands battle for possession during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Football Tournament match between Zambia and Netherlands at Miyagi Stadium on July 21, 2021 in Rifu, Japan (Photo by Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

After her impressive performance for the Copper Princesses, Kabwe based side, Queens Academy came calling and she made her switch to the Zambia Women’s Super League side.

Coach Naomi Phiri has worked with the young defender from her time at the U-17 national team and now at club level and is full of praise for the youngster.

“Esther is one of the best players i have ever coached. She is humble, hard working, she respects her fellow team mates, and she is a leader in and out of the pitch,” Phiri told the ZamFoot Crew.

“Esther likes learning new things and she likes working where they is peace. Her dream is to make her mother proud and to change her family’s life through her career.”

“Esther always encourages her friends to go back to school and when ever her friends are in need, she always gives a hand,” Phiri added.

Originally a centre back but Siamfuko has shown great utility playing even at right back both at the Olympics and against Namibia during the AWCON qualifiers.

She will give coach Bruce Mwape an option at right back as a deputy to Margaret Belemu and also as an alternative for the central defensive pairing of Lushomo Mweemba and Agness Musesa.

The Copper Queens are in Group B alongside old-timers Cameroon whom they will play on 3rd July 2022 before facing Tunisia who is making a return to the tournament 3 days later and they will wrap up the group stage matches against debutants Togo on 9th July 2022.

The semi-finalists will automatically earn themselves a spot at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand while two quarter-finalists will have to battle it out in the inter-continental playoffs to book a ticket at the world’s biggest women’s tournament.

The tournament which will be hosted by Morocco will run from 2-23 July 2022.

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