Zambia claimed a spot in the semifinals through a penalty shootout win against Senegal after a 1-1 draw
Zambia Women’s coach Bruce Mwape is relishing their clash with Banyana Banyana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) set to take place on Monday at the Stade Mohammed V Stadium in Morocco.
Zambia claimed a spot in the semifinals through a penalty shootout win against Senegal after a 1-1 draw. They will now face early tournament favorites, South Africa in what should be an interesting encounter between the two Southern African nations.
Speaking after making it to the semi-finals and subsequently, the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand next year, Mwape said he’s looking forward to playing against a team whose style of play they are familiar with.
“It won’t be an easy game because we have played them several times. The only thing I like about us meeting South Africa is the fact that they are a team that doesn’t play a physical type of football. I’m sure when we play against them it will be evenly contested because they know us and we know them,” he said speaking to COSAFA Media.
Zambia smashed Banyana Banyana 3-0 in a friendly in February of this year in what was a training camp for WAFCON 2022. In that game, coach Desiree Ellis depended mainly on players playing in the local Hollywoodbets Super League, with overseas-based players like Refiloe Jane and Jermaine Seoposenwe joining after Banyana’s trip to Zambia.
“We outplayed them, if we can play the same way we did, I think it won’t be easy for them. I’m sure the girls are focused on this game and they’ll play without any pressure,” concluded Mwape.
