Copper Queens head coach, Nora Häuptle, has unveiled her final squad for the two international friendly matches set to take place on February 22nd and 25th, 2025, at the Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.
Notable absences from the squad include Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya, both of whom are NWSL’s Orlando Pride players, as they are sidelined due to injuries, according to the coach. However, the squad welcomes back Xiomara Mapepa, who returns to the team for the first time in two years.
New additions include Mercy Chipasula, Mwila Mufunte, and Blessing Maluba, all of whom are expected to add depth to the team after impressing at the Cosafa Championship last year.
The Copper Queens’ squad also features a mix of seasoned players alongside fresh faces, including Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.
Häuptle described Malawi as a good opponent for her to test the squad because they have quality players playing at the highest level. She expressed her desire to use the friendlies to try out at least all of her players.
“The games will help us just to give all the 28 players called up enough playing time and exposure. So for me, it’s really not only to burn the starting eleven through; you also need to understand that players like Barbara Banda are now in preseason. We always have a bit of responsibility. We cannot just burn out the top players,” she stated during a press briefing at Football House in Lusaka.
She continued: “It’s time to also give a second or third choice on the position exposure time, and then we can also really judge a player. You know, it’s very difficult when they don’t get the minutes on the pitch. So this is a bit of the objective in those games. And of course, we always have the demand that we want to win those games.”
The Copper Queens are gearing up for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which will kick off from July 5, 2025, to July 26, 2025, in Morocco.
Here’s the full squad:
Goalkeepers:
- Mwila Chishala Mufunte (Green Buffaloes)
- Ngambo Musole (Green Buffaloes)
- Catherine Musonda (Red Arrows)
- Annie Namonje (ZESCO Ndola Girls)
Defenders:
- Margaret Belemu (Red Arrows)
- Blessing Mapalo Maluba (Marvelous Queens)
- Matildah Mukunda (Elite Ladies)
- Lushomo Mweemba (Hakkarigucu, Turkey)
- Martha Tembo (Hakkarigucu, Turkey)
- Memory Nthala (Green Buffaloes)
- Esther Paul Siamfulakos (Zreen)
- Zulu (Zanaco Ladies)
Midfielders:
- Mawetaz Chilenga (Green Buffaloes)
- Evarine Susan Katongo (Green Buffaloes)
- Natasha Nanyangwe (Green Buffaloes)
- Mercy Chipasula (Kamfinsa Blue Eagles)
- Avell Chitundu (ZESCO Ndola Girls)
- Fridah Mukoma (ZESCO Ndola Girls)
- Ireen Lungu (Jiangsu, China)
- Xiomara Mapepa (ZHFK Krylya Sovetov, Russia)
- Abigail Munkombwe (Choma Warriors)
- Racheal Nachula (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)
- Ochumba Oseke Lubanji (Red Arrows)
Strikers:
- Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, USA)
- Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC, USA)
- Penelope Mulubwa (ZESCO Ndola Girls)
- Kabange Mupopo (Henan Jianye, China)
READ MORE: It takes time to build an AFCON-winning team—Ex-Chipolopolo defender Kasonde
