By Mubukwanu Kaingu
Nora Hauptle over the weekend signed a 3-year deal to coach the Zambia women’s national team. Ghanaian journalist Ridwan Asante outlines what Zambia will gain and what Ghana has lost.
The Swiss-born coach becomes the first foreign-born female coach of the Zambia women’s national team.
Hauptle takes over from Bruce Mwape’s successful seven-year stint that has set high benchmarks the Swiss must maintain.
Asante, who is an editor at Ghanasoccernet.com, said in an interview that Hauptle’s departure is a blow to the Ghana project after she revived the Black Queens fortunes following 7 years in the wilderness with their successful 2025 WAFCON qualification.
“Nora is technically on top of her game and drives the players to punch above their weights in all positions,” Asante said.
“She will make the team competitive and we saw that during her tenure in-charge of the Black Queens. Her scouting is on-point too and will draw top talent to be part of the national team.
“Her departure has left a chasm in the Black Queens and we are bound to fail at the WAFCON if the situation is not remedied.”
Before Ghana’s 2025 WAFCON qualification, the Black Queens’ last major outing was hosting the same tournament in 2018 where they made a group stage exit.
Zambia will be Hauptle’s third senior national team assignment after a brief stint with the Israel women’s national team in 2021 before moving to Ghana in 2022.
She earlier led the Swiss U19s to the semifinals of the 2016 UEFA Women’s U19 Championship and the group stage of the same competition in 2018.
Additionally, the 41-year-old ex-Switzerland national team defender has had a couple of club coaching stints before and after her Swiss U19 assignment with local club Thun and German side SC Sand.
Meanwhile, Hauptle heads into the Zambia job on the back of a four-match winless run with three defeats and a draw in her final games as Ghana coach that included a 1-0 home loss in the penultimate round, first leg against her new employers in a 2024 Olympic qualifier in February 2023.
Her last game in charge of Ghana was a 4-0 away friendly defeat against Japan on July 13, 2024.
