The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) appointed 41-year-old Swiss trainer Nora Hauptle as the new head coach of the Zambia Women’s National Team, succeeding Bruce Mwape.
This follows a review of Mwape’s six-year tenure with the Copper Queens in December.
According to FAZ Secretary General Reuben Kamanga, Nora will lead the Copper Queens for a three-year contract. Kamanga claimed that the hiring of the Swiss squad is intended to boost advancement in the women’s game.
“We are excited to announce the appointment of Nora Hauptle as the new Zambia Women National Team coach. We have every reason to believe that she has the pedigree and profile that will take us to the next level,” Kamanga said in a statement issued on Saturday.
“Her duty is to consolidate on the gains made in our women’s game in the last few years that has seen us win bronze at the WAFCON, qualify to a maiden FIFA World Cup in 2023 and back-to-back Olympic qualifications.”
Mwape leaves the team after six years in charge since being appointed in 2018, a tenure that was marred with sexual misconduct accusations against him. He led the team to its first-ever bronze medal at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in 2022, as well as qualifying for both their first Olympics in 2020, followed by another in 2024, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Who is Nora Hauptle?
Nora quit the Black Queens of Ghana in December 2024, a year after she was appointed. She turned down a contract extension offer from the Ghana Football Association in preference of Zambia job.
During her tenure as head coach of Ghana’s Black Queens, she qualified the team for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and won the 2023 WAFU Zone B Women’s Cup. She has a reputation for tactical discipline and young development, having previously served as a technical advisor for Ghana’s U-20 women’s squad at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Nora was a defender in Europe who represented Switzerland at the international level before retiring in 2009 and immediately turning to coaching. She coached in the German Frauen-Bundesliga, where she was the only female coach until 2021, as head coach of SC Sand. She left and briefly played for the Israel Women’s National Team before moving to Ghana, where she went nine games unbeaten and helped the Black Queens qualify for WAFCON.
In 14 games in charge of the Black Queens, Nora recorded ten wins, three losses, and one draw.
She had always wanted to coach the Copper Queens long before she came to Ghana. She revealed in March of last year that she was familiar with the entire team.
“As I told you in the pre-press conference, I watched all 21 games for Zambia last year. I know every player inside and out, and we did a very good analysis with our staff, like we always do,” she told reporters at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium in Ndola.
She continued: “I believe Zambia can get very far with this team, even in the top ten in the world but they need to adjust some tactical screws. There are still things to work on.”
Nora Hauptle’s admiration for Copper Queens predates 2024
Her interest in the Copper Queens predates 2024. She revealed that while at SC Sand, she tried to sign Zambian star Barbra Banda in 2020.
“She [Barbra Banda] was already in China during the Covid season and their league was on hold,” Hauptle told BBC Sport. “So we put in an offer, but her salary was too high to get her on loan.”
After losing to Zambia in Ndola, she vowed to continue making life difficult for the Copper Queens if they meet again at the WAFCON, which will be held this year in July in Morocco.
Now that she is the new head coach for the team, BolaNews understands that her immediate task will be to win the WAFCON.
She will also be in charge of the team in a 4/6 friendly tournament to be held in Ndola this month which FAZ will soon announce.
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