By MICHAEL MIYOBA
IN a quest to reinforce the Copper Queens technical bench led by coach Bruce Mwape, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has unveiled former United States U17 Women’s National Team coach Lisa Cole as the new technical advisor for the Copper Queens technical bench.
FAZ has also strengthened the technical bench with the addition of Chipolopolo physical trainer, Jamie Lawrence ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup set to kick off on July 20.
FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga who announced the new additions to the Copper Queens squad on Wednesday said the new inclusions are meant to make the team stronger.
“As FAZ, what we thought was to add people to do different roles and that is why we brought in Lisa. She has a lot of experience and worked with different teams and ahead of the World Cup, we are bringing in some resources to make sure that the team is stronger,” Kamanga told the players.
“Coach Bruce (Mwape) has done a very good job and he will continue to be your head coach, that I can assure you. The technical bench will be intact because they have specific roles that they play but you will see a number of people that you will be working with prior to the World Cup.”
Kamanga urged the Copper Queens to embrace Cole, Lawrence and the other additions to the technical bench.
“If you want to win the World Cup, you have to dream, everything starts with the dream. Let’s go to the World Cup not just to participate but to compete. There is a lot of work that we have to put in as a team by working with the technical bench so that we go to the World Cup and compete,” Kamanga said.
According to FAZ, Cole has over 30 years of coaching experience at youth, collegiate, professional, and international levels and is also well-versed in football operations, camps, non-profit work, and coach education.
Her most recent position was head coach of the Fiji women’s national team and before that, served as Director of women’s football and head coach for Antigua and Barbuda’s women’s national team.
At the World Cup to run from July 20 to August 20, 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, Zambia will compete in Group C alongside Spain, Japan and Costa Rica.
