Copper Princesses defender Natasha Nkaka says the team wants to make history at the 2024 Dominican Republic FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Zambia defeated Morocco 3-1 on aggregate to secure a spot in the youth global showpiece, alongside Nigeria and Kenya.
Zambia returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.
In response to the qualification, Nkaka, one of the squad’s standout players, stated that the team hopes to compete, not just participate in the tournament.
“We’re really excited because it is our first time going to the World Cup,” Nkaka stated. “We want to bring the cup to our country. We want to make it [beyond the group stage] at the World Cup….. Not just to participate but to bring the cup.”
Meanwhile, Saliya Mwanza, also a defender, says the team played with a lot of determination to get a clean sheet against Morocco in the second leg.
Mwanza said the team will continue working on consolidating the team defense even as they head to the World Cup.
“We are happy because we were determined to qualify. We’ll work together when we play at the World Cup, as we want to continue keeping clean sheets,” Mwanza said.
What’s next for the Copper Princesses?
FAZ says the Copper Princesses will be camped abroad in preparation for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The 2024 tournament will be held from October 16–November 3, 2024. The games will be played in the cities of Santiago and Santo Domingo.
The Cibao University Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros will be the venue for 15 of the 32 matches, including the first semi-final on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo will host 17 matches, including the second semi-final on Thursday, October 31, along with the third-place match and final, both on Sunday, November 3.
The tournament will become an annual event for 24 nations starting in 2025 and will be held in Morocco from 2025–29.
Africa will have five qualifying teams. Other slot allocations will be AFC (4), Concacaf (4), CONMEBOL (4), UEFA (5), and Oceania (2).
