ELIZABETH CHATUVELA
Lusaka
THE under-17 girls national team yesterday left for Kigali ahead of Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup first round first leg against Rwanda, with coach Carol Kanyemba encouraging players to draw inspiration from their predecessors.
In an interview in Lusaka, Kanyemba said they are aiming for maximum points over two legs.
She is leading a new team of 21 players after most of those who featured at the 2025 FIFA Women World Cup in Morocco graduated to the under-20.
Last year, the Copper Princesses reached the round of 16 after losing 6-0 to Canada.
“We are targeting maximum points in these two games.
This is a new team but we have prepared well. I want the players to draw inspiration from those who came before them and do even better,” Kanyemba said.
She knows little about Rwanda but believes they have prepared well to handle challenges.
Should Zambia progress to the second round, they will face the winner between Democratic Republic of Congo and Djibouti in May.
The Copper Princesses have established themselves as one of Africa’s rising forces, having qualified for back-to-back FIFA Under-17 Women World Cups in 2024 in Dominican Republic and last year in Morocco.
Zambia’s maiden appearance was at the 2014 edition in Costa Rica…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
