Eugene Tchatchoua, a former goalkeeper for Cameroon and current goalkeepers coach for Nchanga Rangers, has expressed disapproval of Zambia’s goalkeeper selection for the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Copper Queens will face the hosts, Morocco, in the opening match of the tournament on July 5 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
In an interview, Tchatchoua, questioned the criteria used in selecting the final trio of shot-stoppers.
“Several more worthy goalkeepers were overlooked,” he said, adding that players were not selected based on their recent performance or consistency at the club level.
“To be honest, I don’t see real competition among the three goalkeepers selected for WAFCON,” Tchatchoua said. “From my point of view, the pre-selection criteria were not based on merit. We’ve left out regular, consistent, and efficient goalkeepers who have performed well for their clubs this season.”
Sharing his assessment of the selected trio, Tchatchoua highlighted concerns with two of the choices while placing confidence in one.
On Mwila Mafunte, he noted: “She’s a young and energetic keeper with great potential, but lacks sufficient playing time with Green Buffaloes Women FC. I’m not sure she’s ready to compete at WAFCON level.”
Regarding Catherine Musonda, Tchatchoua said: “She hasn’t been consistent with her club, Red Arrows FC, and hasn’t yet proven herself fully with the national team. I have doubts about her readiness for this level.”
However, he praised Ngambo Musole, saying, “She is the one I believe can deliver. She has experience at this level, she’s consistent, and doing well with her team Green Buffaloes. She stands out.”
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