The Copper Queens have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for only the second time in their history after defeating the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 at the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia on Saturday. The win saw Zambia finish second in Group A, level on seven points with hosts Morocco, but behind on goal difference.
Racheal Kundananji scored the decisive goal in the 9th minute with a stunning free kick — her third of the tournament — becoming the first Zambian to score in three consecutive WAFCON matches. She has also equaled her 2018 tally to become Zambia’s all-time top scorer in the competition.
The Copper Queens opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Morocco, followed by a thrilling 3-2 win over Senegal, who then lost 1-0 to the hosts in their final group match. Senegal now await results from other groups to see if they can progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Zambia will face the winner of Group B in the quarterfinals. Currently, Nigeria leads the group and will play Algeria to determine the final standings.
Coach Nora Hauptle said: “We are facing the first in Group B. We are observing, of course, the game tomorrow. I think we are in a comfortable position that we have now five days to rest. We have time to observe our next opponent.”
She added that the Copper Queens are ready for any challenge: “We take whoever is coming. When you want to reach to the final and want to win this cup, then you need to beat, sooner or later, everybody. So we are facing whoever is coming.”
When asked about the possibility of surpassing Zambia’s previous best performance — a third-place finish — Hauptle emphasized the team’s focus on the present: “I don’t speak about the past. We are very much in the present. We’re just very focused on the next game. This is the quarterfinal. We observe our opponents. We have a good analysis with our team and what was in the past, it’s not my concern at the moment at all,” she concluded.
READ MORE: How Zambia Finished Second in Group A to Reach WAFCON Quarterfinals
