Zambia’s Copper Queens Remain Hopeful for Quarterfinals Despite USA Loss
Despite a challenging 3-0 defeat against the USA, Zambia Women’s National Team coach Bruce Mwape is optimistic about the Copper Queens’ prospects of advancing to the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The match on Thursday evening saw the USA, four-time Olympic champions, dominate with goals from Mallory Swanson (two) and Trinity Rodman. Zambia played most of the match with a numerical disadvantage after Pauline Zulu received a red card in the 30th minute.
Mwape acknowledged the tough result but emphasized that there is still hope. “Fans shouldn’t lose hope. We have two more games to go and we can still qualify for the quarterfinals. It was a bad result, but the girls performed well, especially in the second half. We made mistakes in the first half, which the USA capitalized on, but we improved after the break,” Mwape said.
Looking ahead, Mwape is focused on the upcoming match against Australia, who also lost 3-0 to Germany. “We need to strategize again. We need to start creating more chances. I’m confident we can turn things around,” Mwape added.
The coach praised defender Esther Muchinga for her performance after the red card. “Esther played well after coming in during the first half. She made no mistakes in the second half and will continue to be a key player.”
With the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-place teams, the Copper Queens need to secure strong performances in their remaining matches.
This is Zambia’s second consecutive appearance at the Olympics, following their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Mwape remains hopeful that the team’s resilience and strategic adjustments will lead them to the knockout stages of the tournament.
