Zambia’s Copper Queens could be in the same group as four-time Olympic gold medalists, the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), at the 2024 Paris Women’s Olympic football tournament if they qualify.
Following the draw last Wednesday at the Le Pulse Building in Saint-Denis, Paris, the winner of Zambia vs. Morocco will be placed in Group B alongside Germany, Australia, and the United States.
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
| France | USWNT | Spain |
| Colombia | Germany | Japan |
| Canada | Australia | Brazil, |
| New Zealand | Zambia/Morocco | South Africa/Nigeria |
Reacting to the draw, Twila Kaufman Kilgore, USWNT interim head coach, said she knows both Zambia and Morocco are strong.
“We know that anybody we drew was going to be very competitive,” she told Olympic.com . “Obviously, we’re very familiar with Germany and Australia, and we’re looking for who is next up….. Who the next announced opponent is going to be, but we know that both of them [Zambia and Morocco] are very strong. And we’re very excited about all of them.”
She continued: “The main goal for the team, anytime we put on the crest, is to win. We’re continuing to develop our style of play and we’re moving into a new and exciting time with our team and with Emma [Hayes] joining us for the Olympics. Putting on a really good showing is really important.”
Meanwhile, the Copper Queens will host Morocco on Friday, April 5 at the Levy Mwanawansa stadium. The second leg will be on April 9 in Morocco.
The overall winner of the two legs will earn one of Africa’s two available Olympic spots.
Should Zambia qualify for the second time after solely representing the continent at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they will open their campaign against record world champions, the USWNT.
