Namibia Women’s National Team defender Lydiana Nanamus says her team is well prepared to take on Zambia’s Copper Queens in this month’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.

The Brave Gladiators will face Zambia in the first leg at Dobsonville Stadium on October 22, before meeting them in the second leg four days later at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Namibia is looking to make its second appearance at the WAFCON, having last competed in 2014, when they reached the group stages. They failed to qualify for the 2024 edition after falling to Ghana’s Black Queens, who were led by Nora Hauptle, who is now the Copper Queens coach.

Speaking to Namibia’s Nbcsport, Nanamus emphasized the importance of performing strongly against Zambia.

“Obviously, we understand the task at hand, so the training has really been intense. We really want to match Zambia or even be better than them in the encounters to come,” Nanamus said.

“So we are really putting in a lot of hard work, and I think with this hard work it is definitely going to pay off in the future, come October 22,” she added.

Hauptle aware of Namibia threats

Hauptle, on the other hand, said she knows Namibia very well.

“Namibia, I know them very well because, with Ghana, I kicked them out in the last qualifiers. So for me, it’s nothing new. We know about their qualities, they have two, three good players. We are aware of it,” she told journalists last Saturday in Lusaka.

With Ghana, Hauptle defeated Namibia 3-1 in the first leg but lost 1-0 in the return fixture away. The Brave Gladiators will be confident of causing an upset against a Zambia side that will be without star striker Barbra Banda, who is sidelined through injury.

The last time Zambia and Namibia met in the WAFCON qualifiers was in 2022. The first leg in Lusaka ended 0-0, before the Copper Queens advanced on the away goals rule following a 1-1 draw in the second leg.

Meanwhile, the winner of this month’s two-legged qualifier will secure a spot at the Morocco 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which also doubles as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The 2026 WAFCON tournament is scheduled for March next year in Morocco.

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