The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) executive committee held its end-of-year meeting last week, and Nora Häuptle was mentioned as a potential successor to Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape.
BolaNews has learnt that other names were mentioned following the review of Mwape’s six-year tenure as Copper Queen’s coach.
According to multiple reports, Häuptle, who turned down a contract extension with Ghana, is set to take over the Copper Queens.
BolaNews has since confirmed that FAZ and the Swiss trainer are in contact, though the talks are still in their early stages. However, the association has stated that Mwape remains the Copper Queens’ head coach and that if anything changes, the public will be informed.
Häuptle’s refusal to extend her contract with Ghana is thought to have stemmed from a lack of friendly games for the team.
Amid the reports, she posted on LinkedIn, “I believe that success is built over continuous development steps of the performance.
“Providing as national team for our players as many high-performance game exposure as possible is key. Because through this game experiences, we can work, learn and grow as individual & team. The difference in the amount of games played in 2024 is huge between the participating teams of the WAFCON ’24 (which will be held in July 2025).”
GFA Under fire over Hauptle
Following the reports, multiple Ghanaian fans, pundits, and journalists have condemned the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
“We can’t give Nora Hauptle what she wants to stay in her job, but we are doing everything to keep a coach who has failed, a coach who couldn’t qualify Ghana for the AFCON,” Ghanaian sports broadcaster @OfficialSitso said.
“If you allow Nora to go to Zambia, it would be the biggest indictment on this FA,” Ghanaian journalist Owuraku Ampofo also said.
Joy Sports journalist Daniel Koranteng bemoaned: “It’s like everything that follows them [GFA] is failure and I don’t get it.”
Before her role with the Ghana senior team, Häuptle was the technical advisor for the Ghana U20 women’s national team, the Black Princesses, at the 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
Häuptle had great success with the Black Queens, including qualifying Ghana for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and winning the 2023 WAFU Zone B Women’s Cup.
Häuptle eager to take over Copper Queens
BolaNews has also established that Häuptle has desired the job for some time now and is eager to move to Zambia.
In February, the former SC Sand and Israel women’s national team coach admitted to admiring the Copper Queens. This came after her team fell 4-3 on aggregate to Zambia in the 2024 Olympic qualifiers.
“As I told you in the pre-press conference, I watched all 21 games for Zambia last year. I know every player inside and out, and we did a very good analysis with our staff, like we always do,” she told reporters at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium in Ndola in February.
She continued: “I believe Zambia can get very far with this team, even in the top ten in the world but they need to adjust some tactical screws. There are still things to work on on this team but kudos to a fantastic team. I think it’s nice to coach them.”
Should FAZ hire Häuptle, she will become the first foreign coach to take charge of the Copper Queens. Her immediate task will be to lead the team to the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which will run from July 5 to 26, 2025, in Morocco.
Zambia was drawn in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and DR Congo.
They will look to win the competition for the first time after finishing third at the last edition in 2022.
READ ALSO: Bruce Mwape vs. Nora Hauptle: Who’s the better coach?
