As Zambia’s U17 women’s national team gets ready for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, head coach Carol Kanyemba says she is sure she has chosen the best players.
The team departed for Morocco on Saturday evening, where they will hold a pre-World Cup training camp in Casablanca.
During the camp, Zambia will play three international friendlies against Cameroon, Canada, and Colombia.
Speaking before departure in Lusaka, Kanyemba expressed satisfaction with her team’s readiness despite a few fitness concerns.
“The preparation has been going on well despite having minor injuries. But we believe we have carried the best team,” she said.
The friendly fixtures scheduled for the 9th, 12th, and 14th of October are part of the final phase of preparations. The matches will serve as crucial tests ahead of Zambia’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on 19th October.
Kanyemba, whose side exited at the group stage of the 2024 World Cup in the Dominican Republic, believes this year’s buildup has been more comprehensive.
“We are happy for the friendlies that have been lined up for us that will be able to help us gauge the level at which our team is,” she said.
The coach added that she is eager to assess her side’s progress against varied opposition.
“We feel we have prepared, but we want to see how prepared we are if we face different opponents from different groups.”
Zambia is in Group F alongside Japan, New Zealand, and Paraguay. The upcoming matches in Morocco mark a significant improvement from last year’s campaign, when the team failed to secure any international friendlies before the tournament.
