Benin U-17 Women’s National Team coach, Azonsou Idah, has declared that her side’s presence in Zambia is no coincidence, expressing confidence ahead of their crucial clash with the Copper Princesses.
“I want to emphasize that this match is a very important match for the team, for our country, and for the young players involved,” Idah told a pre-match press conference in Ndola. “And we know that we’re facing a nation that has already participated at least twice in the World Cup in this category, which makes it an experienced team, but we’re not here by chance.”
Idah acknowledged that she doesn’t know much about the Zambian team but stressed that her focus is firmly on the present challenge, putting past victories behind them.
“The past matches are already over. It’s another match against Zambia and the match against Congo, that’s already in the past. We’re facing a team we don’t know well enough. So, as I said, it’s a crucial match for us, and we’re going to maximize our chances for qualification.”
Kanyemba Makes Bold Admission
Zambia, who qualified for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2014 and again in 2024, are aiming to make history by securing back-to-back qualifications for the first time. Coach Carol Kanyemba admitted that the stakes are high heading into today’s game.
“It’s a lot of pressure being at this stage because there’s history to be made,” she said. “But we’ve been working on the girls and helping them to focus on the game that is at hand and that can help us make this history. So we are telling the girls to be focused on getting maximum points, especially when you play at home, so that it gives us an opportunity to qualify for back-to-back World Cups.”
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