The captain of the Zambia U17 Women’s National Team, Zangose Zulu, has declared she is confident her side can beat Uganda in the third round of the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier next month, with the first leg slated for May 12 at the Nkolama stadium in Lusaka.

The Copper Princesses defeated Tanzania 5-1 on aggregate in February to progress to the third round, with Zulu netting a brace in the first leg.

Speaking to journalists after Tuesday morning’s training session, Zulu said the team is ready for Uganda, who eliminated Cameroon with a 4-2 aggregate win.

“Training is going well; everyone is pushing and competition is very high. We are ready for Uganda, we have never played them before; this will be the first game, but we will do our very best,” she said.

Zulu added: “They are a tough team; they also want to qualify so we just need to push and concentrate. Home-ground advantage will help because of the fans; morale will be high.

“It will be our first World Cup appearance so we just have to push and work hard as a team.”

Three African countries to qualify for the World Cup

Coach Carol Kanyemba summoned 35 players, and competition among them has been fierce, with the squad expected to be reduced ahead of the Uganda match.

The winner of the two legs will advance to the fourth and final round of the qualifiers, where they will face Morocco or Algeria for a spot in the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the Dominican Republic.

Only three countries qualify for the World Cup from Africa, with Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria all still in the race.

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