Exclusive: ‘Zambia Target is to Win WAFCON’ - Says Assistant Coach Florence Mwila

Fresh off winning the 2024 COSAFA Women's Championship, Zambia Women's National Team assistant coach Florence Mwila has revealed to SportsBoom.co.za that the Copper Queens' ultimate goal at next year's CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is to win the trophy for the first time.

Zambia's Copper Queens won the COSAFA Championship with a penalty shootout victory over South Africa's Banyana Banyana on November 2, 2024, making Mwila, who was standing in for Bruce Mwape, the first female Zambian coach to win an international trophy in history.

It was Zambia’s second COSAFA title after winning the first in 2022.

TOUGH DRAW 

CAF held the draw for the WAFCON, a 12-nation tournament, last Friday and placed host Morocco in Group A alongside Zambia, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria, the 11-time champions, are in Group B with Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana, while South Africa, the reigning champions, are in Group C with Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania.

The Copper Queens are undoubtedly in one of the toughest groups, but they will be confident after defeating two of the group's strongest teams, Morocco and Senegal, in their previous meetings.

WAFCON DREAM 

Mwila is optimistic Zambia can win the WAFCON next year, especially after discovering new talent at the COSAFA, which will provide depth to the squad.

“The target is to win,” she told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview. “If we look at how far we've come, for the first time, we got bronze [at the 2022 edition], meaning that there is room for us to reach that far next year.” 

EXPERIENCE

The Copper Queens advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 WAFCON despite missing two of their top players, Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.

Mwila stated that the team is now experienced, as the majority of the players have gained valuable experience from competing in the Olympics and FIFA Women's World Cup.

“Our girls have been exposed. The results may or may not be good at that level [Olympics and World], but the exposure and the experience itself are a plus for us. The new players that are coming in and those that have been part of the COSAFA winning team is a drive on its own for the players to really push.”

The delayed 13th edition of the WAFCON will take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

The ran from July 2 to July 23 in 2022, but the CAF postponed it this year to avoid conflicting with the 2024 Paris Olympics, which took place from July 25 to August 10.