Katongo and Soko: Youngsters hoping to make the Olympics final squad

By Moses P Mwanza | June 25, 2021

Zambian Institute for Sustainable Development (ZISD) Women Football Club mercurial midfielder Suzen Evaline Katongo who is on loan from Luyando Foundation Girls alongside YASA Queens defender Judith Soko are two young stars who have been aiming high and trying hard to break into the final Olympic bound senior women’s national team.

The duo is currently among the 25 players left in the Copper Queens camp and are hoping to make Coach Bruce Mwape’s 18 member Olympics final squad.

Soko who is nicknamed Zeide was very instrumental at last years’ COSAFA Under-17 Girls Championship in South Africa for the Coach Kaluba Kangwa tutored girls.

The Copper Princess minted Silver in the tournament after losing to Tanzania in the final thanks to poor officiating by Motswana referee Beauty Itumeleng Methikga.

It was after that good outing at the tournament when Soko received her first national team call-up for the Copper Queens who were preparing for an International Friendly match against Chile in November 2020 but unfortunately, Soko did not make it to the final team that played against LA Roja Femenina with the Copper Queens winning 2-1 in that match away in Santiago.

Soko was yet again recalled to the national team earlier this year and she managed to make it in the final team that traveled to South Africa in April for a friendly match with Banyana Banyana where she was an unused substitute in the 3-1 loss at the hands of South Africa, however, she is yet to make her national team debut but she’s definitely on course to break into the team.

On the other hand, Katongo has been one of the mesmerizing young players in the local league with the Luyando Foundation thanks to her goal-scoring prowess and creation of chances. She was a significant part of the Zambia Women’s Under-20 team led by coach Charles Haluboono in 2019

Katongo grabbed a player of the match award at the 2019 COSAFA Under-20 Girls Championship in South Africa when the Junior Copper Queens defeated Tanzania 2-1 and because of her brilliance in the league for her club with 10 goals and eight assists in just 12 games recently led to her being called to the senior women’s national team.

Katongo who is nicknamed Chisamba made her debut for the National team on 24th April 2021 when she came on as a substitute replacing Ireen Lungu for All-Stars (Copper Queens) when they played against ‘The Rest’ in a friendly match at Lusaka’s Woodlands Stadium where the Copper Queens won that match 4-1.

Both Katongo and Soko are currently in camp preparing for the Rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics to be staged next month in Japan and they are working hard to be part of the final list that is expected to travel to Tokyo because of their exploits both at club and junior national team level.

The Copper Queens are in Group F alongside China, Brazil, and the Netherlands at this tournament.

Zambia will start their Olympic journey with a stern against the Netherlands on 21st July 2021 before taking on China PR 3 days later with both matches slated for Miyagi Stadium in Miyagi.

The Copper Queens will then wrap up their group match against the much-fancied Brazil on 27th July 2021 at Saitama Stadium in Saitama.