By MICHAEL MIYOBA
ZAMBIA national women’s team captain Barbra Banda says the Copper Queens will not underrate Ghana as the two teams prepare to clash in a 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier.
Zambia will face Ghana in the first leg of the Olympic qualifiers scheduled for February 23 in Ghana before hosting the return leg on February 28 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Banda said the Copper Queens are working hard in camp to ensure that they are ready for the Black Princesses.
“Ghana is not an easy team to beat but as a team we have to be determined and work hard because Ghana has a good side. We will not underrate them. We are going there with full force. What we want are maximum points at their home ground and to come and finish the game at our home ground,” she said.
Banda is confident that the Copper Queens will continue from their impressive win over Angola in the last round of the Olympic qualifers.
“Looking at our striking force, we are all ambitious and we are all capable of scoring so we want to keep scoring. In our team we depend on anyone.
Anyone can score so we just want to keep the same momentum, the same discipline of scoring and looking at the game we played against Angola, it was a very good game for us and we want to continue with the same spirit,” she said.
Meanwhile, midfielder Susan Katongo said the Copper Queens will have to be cautious of Ghana’s experience.
“The first leg I’m sure we will have more pressure playing away but as a team we are preparing very well because we want to finish off the match when we go to Ghana so that when we come here we just want to wrap up the game,” Katongo said.
“Ghana is somehow experienced. They have more experienced players than Angola and we just have to work hard for this match being the Olympic qualifier. Ghana want to qualify and we also want to qualify. we don’t know how they are preparing there but we just have to work hard and concentrate during training,” she said.
Katongo said she was happy to be in good shape going to the back to back matches against Ghana.
The Green Buffaloes midfielder said the league games have played a key role to help her stay fit for national team duty.
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