Copper Queens head coach Nora Häuptle says she is not worried by Zambia’s 1-0 defeat to Algeria, insisting the result came under extraordinary circumstances after several of her overseas-based players arrived in camp exhausted from long-haul travel.
The Copper Queens suffered defeat in their final warm-up match before the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), but the Swiss tactician believes fatigue played a major role in the performance.
Häuptle revealed that Zambia’s foreign-based players only arrived in Algeria a day before the match after enduring journeys of up to 25 hours, leaving them with little time to recover.
“The best thing I think today is that all the players are in good health after the game,” Häuptle said.
“It was, for us, a limbo, I’d say, because our [foreign-based players] arrived yesterday with jet lag and high fatigue from twenty-five-hour flights.
“So they did not train yesterday; we just brought them on the pitch without training, and we said, ‘Okay, we give them a halftime.’ I would say in this first half, we created two or three good chances. We hit the crossbar twice. I think we should go three-zero, three-one at least at half-time.”
Häuptle, however, insisted the defeat should not be a cause for concern, saying the priority now is ensuring the players recover fully before Zambia opens its WAFCON campaign against Egypt.
“Now it’s about recovery with everybody, getting the focus to Egypt. It will be quite similar opposition that we face.
“And don’t worry, Copper Queens are on a mission and a mission to work,” concluded Häuptle.
The WAFCON kicks off this Saturday, July 25 to August 16, 2026.
