Four months into her tenure as head coach of the Copper Queens, pressure is mounting on Nora Hauptle to deliver results and surpass the legacy of her predecessor, Bruce Mwape. Mwape led the team to historic milestones, including qualifications for back-to-back Olympics, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and a bronze medal at the last Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Hauptle faces a daunting task, but she inherits a talented squad filled with potential. The key question remains—will her stars shine at the upcoming WAFCON, scheduled to run from July 5 to July 26, 2025?

Since taking charge, the Swiss coach has overseen four matches: a 2-0 win and a 3-2 home defeat against Malawi, followed by a 3-2 loss to Thailand and a 4-3 victory over Uzbekistan.

Speaking to the press last Saturday, Hauptle shared her optimism about Zambia’s chances at WAFCON, reflecting on the team’s previous bronze medal finish and the path ahead.

“The vision is to win the WAFCON and that is why I am here, that is what’s motivating us overall but we cannot just announce that we are going to win but we need to know what steps to take in order to achieve our objective.”

She added, “We have to win the tournament per game so that is the graduation and it gives us the objective.”

Hauptle also stressed the importance of having a fully fit squad before and during the tournament, stating that, “It is an individual responsibility they would have to take, in pre-camp and at the group stage so you know that we split it a bit.”

“We create a pathway,and we tick that we have done this and I believe when we do all those steps properly, yes we have the potential of winning the WAFCON but it’s will not happen on purpose.”

Zambia will be gearing up for the WAFCON with upcoming fixtures against Botswana and South Africa this Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. This is the first time Hauptle has had a full squad since taking over the team.

“We are very happy that we have the full power of the squad for the first time,” she said. “It makes me excited and looking forward to the two high-level games.”

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