Copper Princesses Return Home After Successful Uganda Mission
The Zambia U17 Women’s National Team, known as the Copper Princesses, has returned home after securing a place in the final round of the 2024 U17 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Uganda. Their RwandAir flight landed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka at 13:58hrs.
The team was warmly welcomed by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) President Andrew Kamanga, General Secretary Reuben Kamanga, Technical Director Lyson Zulu, and Zambian Premier League Chairperson Kephas Katongo.
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga congratulated the team for their resilience, especially after overcoming Tanzania in the second stage of the qualifiers. “On behalf of the FAZ executive committee, we congratulate you for the job well done. It was a tough game, but we secured qualification to the final round,” Kamanga said.
He also mentioned plans to invest in the team’s preparation, including the possibility of organizing an international friendly match to help them prepare for their upcoming game against Morocco. “We hope that you can make it to the World Cup,” he added.
Coach Carol Kanyemba expressed gratitude to FAZ and the nation for their support. “There has been massive support for the girls, and we really appreciate it. We want to follow in the footsteps of our senior national team. The girls are ready and want to make history,” Kanyemba said.
Team captain Zangose Blessing Zulu also thanked supporters, saying, “We appreciate your support and will work extra hard for our next game against Morocco. We will keep pushing.”
The Copper Princesses will face Morocco in the first week of June in the fourth round of the qualifiers. They earned their place in the final round after defeating Uganda 2-1 and Algeria 8-0 on aggregate.
