The Zambia U17 women’s national team’s journey at the 2024 Dominican Republic World Cup came to an end after losing all three group matches.
Head coach Carol Kanyemba shared her thoughts following the team’s 4-1 loss to Japan in their final Group D match.
Zambia finally managed to find the back of the net after a five-game scoreless run away from home. “At least we are going home with a goal; we appreciate the team for that,” Kanyemba said.
Zambia entered the final group match on Wednesday, from losing 1-0 to Brazil in their opener and 2-0 to Poland.
The Copper Princesses were hoping for a win to equal the record of the 2014 team, which claimed a victory at their debut World Cup in Costa Rica.
However, the team failed to secure a win, with Kanyemba pointing out that poor finishing cost them the result.
Zambia failed to score in six away matches.
“Just as in previous other games, our biggest challenge was to get the ball behind net. It has really affected us. I believe a goal always boosts the morale of the team,” Kanyemba explained.
Despite not recording a win in the tournament, Kanyemba believes there are positives to take from the three consecutive defeats.
“Lot of positives. One is that we should believe in the girls, and the girls themselves should believe in themselves and We should sharpen our striking force.”
No Copper Princesses player has scored away from home in six games, with Zambia’s only goal in the 4-1 defeat against Japan coming from an own goal by Haruko Suzuki in the 87th minute.
“We need to work on our striking force and reinforce the midfield so that they too can get goals for the team.”
