Mubukwanu Kaingu
ZAMBIA Women’s national team will forgo the October window for friendlies due to operational reasons despite having a walkover result against Mali in the Paris 2024 Olympic second round qualifiers that commence this week.
Bruce Mwape’s side was due to travel to Bamako for the first leg during the October 23-November 1 FIFA women’s match window to play Mali in a Paris 2024, second round, first leg qualifier
But the West Africans withdrew from the race at short notice this month.
Football Association of Zambia communications manager Sydney Mungala said the players will now be left to focus on all respective outstanding domestic obligations both at home and abroad before regrouping in late November.
“The program was such that the coaches would use the October FIFA window to play two high-profile friendly matches and also utilize the COSAFA Women’s Championship to have a look at promising local prospects,” Mungala said.
“For now, the focus is on the league to ensure that teams that had international players catch-up on their respective fixtures.”
The Paris qualifiers come a week after the Copper Queens B side returned from the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa where Zambia relinquished their regional title to Malawi who beat them 2-1 in the final played on October 15 in Pretoria.
But Zambia will resume their Olympic qualifiers in early 2024 in the penultimate qualifying stage during the week of February 19-28.
Zambia will face the winner of this week’s two-legged second round tie between Benin and Ghana which is one of six fixtures taking place over the next seven days.
The last two teams standing at the end of February that advance to next April’s final fourth round qualifying stage will both qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Zambia are hunting for unprecedented back-to-back Olympic qualifications after making their debut at the 2020 Tokyo Women’s Football tournament where the team made a group stage exit.
Meanwhile, Zambia will be back in action in late November when they face Angola in a 2024 Women’s AFCON final round qualifier and will be away in Luanda for the first leg.
Shepolopolo forego October friendlies due to operational reasons
ZAMBIA Women’s national team will forgo the October window for friendlies due to operational reasons despite having a walkover result against Mali in the Paris 2024 Olympic second round qualifiers that commence this week.
Bruce Mwape’s side was due to travel to Bamako for the first leg during the October 23-November 1 FIFA women’s match window to play Mali in a Paris 2024, second round, first leg qualifier
But the West Africans withdrew from the race at short notice this month.
Football Association of Zambia communications manager Sydney Mungala said the players will now be left to focus on all respective outstanding domestic obligations both at home and abroad before regrouping in late November.
“The program was such that the coaches would use the October FIFA window to play two high-profile friendly matches and also utilize the COSAFA Women’s Championship to have a look at promising local prospects,” Mungala said.
“For now, the focus is on the league to ensure that teams that had international players catch-up on their respective fixtures.”
The Paris qualifiers come a week after the Copper Queens B side returned from the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa where Zambia relinquished their regional title to Malawi who beat them 2-1 in the final played on October 15 in Pretoria.
But Zambia will resume their Olympic qualifiers in early 2024 in the penultimate qualifying stage during the week of February 19-28.
Zambia will face the winner of this week’s two-legged second round tie between Benin and Ghana which is one of six fixtures taking place over the next seven days.
The last two teams standing at the end of February that advance to next April’s final fourth round qualifying stage will both qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Zambia are hunting for unprecedented back-to-back Olympic qualifications after making their debut at the 2020 Tokyo Women’s Football tournament where the team made a group stage exit.
Meanwhile, Zambia will be back in action in late November when they face Angola in a 2024 Women’s AFCON final round qualifier and will be away in Luanda for the first leg.
