US-born centre forward Samiah Phiri, who currently plays for French side FC Nantes, has expressed her desire to represent the Zambia National Women’s Team.
The 22-year-old, born to a Zambian father, made her professional move to France in February 2025 after a standout college career with the Pittsburgh Panthers Women’s Soccer team. In her final season before turning professional, she made 21 appearances in 24 matches, logging over 1,200 minutes of play.
Her impressive performance in the All-ACC Academic League caught the attention of scouts, with Phiri amassing over 20 goals and assists across three seasons at Pittsburgh.
Speaking to BolaNews, Phiri said she has long admired Zambian players competing in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States. She discovered her Zambian heritage after watching the Copper Queens at the 2023 World Cup and noticing several players who shared her surname.
“I asked my father why I shared the same name as the Zambian girls, and he explained my roots. Since then, I’ve felt a strong connection to Zambia… I have followed the players that are playing in the NWSL, like Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji, so I’m inspired to see them in the top league,” Phiri said.
She also expressed hope of donning the Copper Queens jersey in the near future.
“I would love to play for the Zambia team; my father and I are in the process of tracing our roots to the country. I have not been to Zambia yet,” she added.
Phiri on her time in France
Phiri featured in five of the eight matches played by FC Nantes during the second round of the 2024–25 French Première Ligue. She described her first season in France as a valuable learning experience.
“I played five out of the eight games that we had because I got there halfway through the season. So, it was really a great experience for me. I had never been out of the country, so for me to do it and play soccer was really nice. Just playing with different girls and learning the culture and the style of play, it was fine for me,” she explained.
Confident in her ability to adapt to the Zambian style of play, Phiri believes her skill set would be an asset to the national team.
“For me, I think my strength is that I’m really technical on the ball. I don’t just use my speed and everything to get by players. I say I really love using skill and stuff like that, and I love to shoot and attack and get forward,” she said.
She concluded, “I think it would be a really great experience to represent the country that my dad or my roots are from, and that would be a great experience for me.”
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