Copper Queens Depart for France Ahead of 2024 Olympics with Key Friendly Matches Planned
The Copper Queens, Zambia’s national women’s football team, have departed for Paris in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games, set to commence on July 23.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has organized an international camp for the team, featuring two high-profile friendly matches to fine-tune their readiness for the Olympics. The first of these matches is scheduled for July 13 against New Zealand in Lyon.
The squad embarked on their journey aboard Qatar Airlines, traveling to Paris via Doha. FAZ President Andrew Kamanga, who saw off the team, emphasized the importance of their hard work and dedication as they represent Zambia on the international stage.
Kamanga highlighted FAZ’s commitment to preparing teams for international competitions through quality camps and friendly matches.
“Like we have done in the past, we have made sure that we have prepared the team adequately. The competition will start on the 23rd of July, but you have gone early with a 12-day camp which we hope you will be able to utilize. We have arranged the first game on the 13th of July, and we should be able to finalize the second one,” said Kamanga. “We can only wish you well. Remember that you are carrying the hopes of 20 million Zambians. We hope that you will do much better this time than we did in the last Olympics. We want to say goodbye and wish you all the best.”
Head Coach Bruce Mwape expressed his satisfaction with the preparations, noting the significance of the friendly matches before the tournament. “On behalf of the technical bench, I can say the team is ready for the competition. It is good that we will get the second friendly, otherwise the team is ready for the tournament,” Mwape stated.
Speaking on behalf of the players, Rachael Nachula appealed to fans to support the team. “Thanks to the association, the government, and the Zambian people. We will work hard to achieve our goal,” she said.
The Copper Queens will face the Ferns of New Zealand on July 13 in Lyon, followed by a match against a yet-to-be-confirmed Olympic-qualified team. Their Olympic campaign will kick off on July 25 against the United States in Nice, followed by a match against Australia three days later at the same venue. The final group match will be against Germany in St. Etienne on July 31.
The team is making a return to the Olympics after their historic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021.