Aston Villa FC Women’s Academy player Jessica Choolwe Johnson impressed Zambia U-17 national team coach Carol Kanyemba after being subbed on in the 66th minute against Benin in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier, which ended 2-1 in favor of Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Johnson was making only her third appearance for the Copper Princesses, following brief cameos against Tanzania over two legs last March, in which she played a total of less than four minutes.
Kanyemba came under fire from several fans, particularly on social media, for not giving the 16-year-old midfielder enough game time.
Despite Zambia leading 1-0 in the second leg and holding a 4-0 aggregate advantage over Tanzania last month at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Johnson was only given two minutes of playing time—prompting criticism from fans who felt it was insufficient to properly assess her abilities.
In response, Kanyemba explained that she didn’t want to rush the youngster, who is still adapting to the team’s style of play.
“Since the time she came, up to now, she’s been improving in every game. Our game is different from the games that they play in Aston Villa; ours is very physical and strong, and she liked that in the beginning, so we knew playing on a muddy pitch [in the previous game] required a lot of energy, which we obviously [thought] she couldn’t give her best,” Kanyemba explained.
Johnson Impressed Kanyemba
The coach was impressed with Johnson’s performance against Benin on Saturday, where she played 28 minutes and came close to scoring after dribbling past a defender and shooting just over the bar.
“From every training session and every game that she’s played, she’s picking up and getting better. She almost had a goal [today] when she was introduced, and I think she did quite well.”
The Copper Princesses will travel to Togo for their second-leg fixture against Benin next Saturday. A win or draw would be enough to secure back-to-back World Cup qualifications.
The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco from November 5 to 27, marking the first time the tournament will be hosted on African soil.
