Zambia’s Copper Queens secured a dramatic 4-3 victory over Uzbekistan to claim third place at the 2025 Yongchuan International Tournament in China. The win marked a strong comeback after a narrow 3-2 loss to Thailand in their opening game and was achieved despite the absence of key players, including captain Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya, and Grace Chanda.

Ireen Lungu opened the scoring in the 24th minute, followed shortly by a debut goal from Mercy Chipasula, giving Zambia a 2-0 halftime lead. Fridah Mukoma added a third just after the break, but Uzbekistan pulled one back through Feruza Turdiboeva. Kabange Mupopo extended the lead to 4-1 in the 73rd minute, before late goals from Uzbekistan—including a penalty converted by Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva—made it 4-3. Despite the late surge, Zambia held firm to clinch the bronze in a tense finish.

Reacting after the match, head coach Nora Häuptle expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance and growth throughout the tournament.

“We had absolute control of the game. We were able to switch play and created several chances. Probably we should have scored more than two goals in the first half, but when we lost the ball, we have been in good rest defence. So it was the first time where, really, I had the feeling that now our playing idea is on the pitch for an hour,” said Häuptle.

Maluba, Mukoma Impress Häuptle

Häuptle was particularly impressed by Fridah Mukoma and Blessing Maluba, a young player she deployed at centre-back. She acknowledged that second-half substitutions had a notable impact on the team’s stability but saw it as a valuable learning experience.

“Young players like Blessing in the centre-back position fulfilled a very good job. Fridah, first appearance under me, and already scored. In the second half, we came out of the break and scored again. So for an hour for me, it was nearly a complete perfect game. We started with a bit of a changes and invited the opponent to come back into the game.

“So we conceded the 3-1 and we scored 4-1 again with two very late goals from the opponent to make it 4-3. So we still see that, when we make too many changes, we want to give exposure again to the full bench, but we lost the stability with these changes. It’s also information we can take, but I’m very satisfied that the players are starting to understand the tasks. They put it that way; we worked a lot with individual positioning tasks, and we gave them feedback after the first game, and I really feel that now they are starting to understand and also transmit it on the pitch.

“This was a very satisfying part of this camp. I’m full of courage. I’m convinced we are on the right way and looking forward to having two more friendlies at the end of May to get more exposure and more of this routine that we create stability in our performance.”

Häuptle turns Nachula into a fullback

In both games at the tournament, the Copper Queens scored six and conceded six, with difficulties in maintaining leads. To shore up the backline, Häuptle experimented with player positions, turning Racheal Nachula into a wingback and Blessing Muluba into a center-back—moves she believed paid off.

“Both of the teams we played—Thailand and Uzbekistan—are ahead of us in the world rankings, top 40, top 50. I think it was a very tight game against Thailand. Probably, we deserved a point there, and we felt like we needed to have more stability in defense. Often it starts when we lose the ball, and we are then in a good rest-defense setting. And this was the learning we brought into the second game.

“So we really had 60 perfect minutes here. We now know, also, in certain positions, how we’re going to go forward. We also put Nachula, a winger in the fullback position; Blessing, a very young, skilful player who is used to playing holding midfield in her earlier national team years as centre-back. And those two did a fantastic job today in those 60 minutes. So yeah, I’m happy that these moves worked well.”

Since Häuptle’s appointment, Zambia have played four matches—winning two and losing two—as they continue preparations for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this July. The Copper Queens are in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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