The Zambia Women’s National Team defeated Tanzania 1-0 in an international friendly match played in Lusaka’s Woodlands Stadium on Sunday, with coach Bruce Mwape making a strong admission about his squad.
It was the first time in the history of Zambian women’s football that spectators filled up the 10,000-seat stadium for the Copper Queens to set a record in the country.
After an even first half that ended nil-nil, Elite Ladies’ Comfort Selemani broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a cool shot from a tight angle.
Despite starting with what was arguably his best eleven, coach Bruce Mwape’s strikers struggled to find the back of the net.
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His two main attackers, Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, once again failed to live up to many people’s expectations, failing to have a fair quantity of shots on target.
The pair have only managed to score four combined goals in their last six matches for the Copper Queens.
They both scored a goal in a friendly match against South Korea in April, which they lost 5-2. They each scored once more in a friendly match against Uzbekistan in February.
Despite their excellent performances for their respective clubs, the two have been chastised for failing to impress when paired up front for the national team.
Some fans and pundits have suggested that they shouldn’t start a match together going forward.
Mwape makes strong admission
However, when asked about the matter, coach Bruce Mwape said the two are his best players and just need little polishing in terms of positioning themselves on the pitch, and they will score.
“Those are our best players; it’s just the positioning. I am sure if they start positioning themselves very well, they will be able to score goals.”
Meanwhile, Mwape admitted that his side has a lot of individual play and that his technical bench is working hard to promote togetherness as they prepare for the World Cup.
“We are trying to discourage individual play. There is a lot of individual play upfront; everyone wants to show that they are stars. We are actually working on that,” revealed Mwape.
Kundananji finished the Spanish League as the second-highest goal scorer with 24 goals, while Banda scored nine goals in six games in the Chinese Super League.
The two will be part of the team that will play Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland in pre-World Cup matches later this month.
Many fans will now be hoping the strikers gel and score many goals for the Copper Queens who will be making their debut at the Women’s World Cup.
The World Cup will begin on July 20th in Australia and New Zealand, with Zambia grouped with Spain, Costa Rica, and Japan in Group C.
