My spell checker keeps trying to correct “Häuptle” to “Hopeless”. Perhaps that is an apt description of how I feel about the Copper Queens coach following Zambia’s elimination from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

When Nora Häuptle was appointed national team coach last year, her arrival was hailed as the beginning of “A New Era for the Copper Queens”.

At the time, then FAZ president Andrew Kamanga said her appointment was part of a broader strategy to advance women’s football in Zambia. Several objectives were outlined for the new coach.

“One of the main goals is to win the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July [2025] but also to qualify the team for the 2026 edition, which will serve as a stepping stone for the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” Kamanga said.

Fast forward to today: Häuptle has overseen two WAFCON campaigns and has failed to win either.

In her first tournament, Zambia reached the quarter-finals, only to suffer an embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Nigeria.

Yesterday, despite beating Malawi 2-1 in their final Group C match, Zambia were eliminated on a technicality, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Judging by the objectives she was hired to achieve, she has fallen short.

Her record is inferior to that of the man she replaced, despite her criticism of Bruce Mwape’s so-called “Chipantepante” football.

She was brought in to take the Copper Queens to the next level. Instead, the team appears to have stagnated and, in some respects, regressed.

To better understand where things have gone wrong, I sought the views of several people who analyse football beyond the entertainment aspect and pay close attention to tactics and coaching.

One coach, who requested anonymity, pointed to a lack of tactical preparation.

“At times, she doesn’t seem to prepare with the opponent in mind. Both matches against Nigeria last year and this year proved decisive in determining the team’s fate.

“I have also observed that sometimes her team lacks clarity during matches. You can see players who seem unsure of what they should be doing. That’s a coaching problem,” the coach said.

The coach also questioned some of Häuptle’s team selections and in-game management.

“Her timing of substitutions is questionable, as is how she uses them. At this WAFCON, she twice withdrew Rhoda Chileshe and replaced her with Evarine Katongo. 

“Normally, you would expect that to be an attacking substitution, but Katongo ended up playing as the deepest defensive midfielder. What exactly was the thinking behind that?” the coach asked.

Häuptle also strikes me as a coach who is reluctant to take responsibility.

After the defeat to Nigeria, she criticised her players for playing “Chipantepante” football. But who coaches the team? If the players fail to execute the game plan, the responsibility ultimately rests with the coach.

Her prolonged absences from the national team have also not helped. She has missed valuable opportunities to fully implement her philosophy, often leaving assistant coach Charles Halubono in charge.

While she may leave behind a blueprint, Halubono is his own coach with his own approach. The outcome can never be exactly the same because their coaching styles are different.

Ultimately, Häuptle was hired to build on the strong foundation Bruce Mwape had established. Instead, Zambia have failed to make the progress many expected.

For me, she has not taken the Copper Queens to the next level.

It might be time for her to leave.