…as Copper Queens coach Mwape promises to select the squad on merit
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
COPPER Queen’s coach Bruce Mwape says the 2023 FIFA World Cup-bound final squad will be selected on merit.
Mwape said the Copper Queens have improved and were looking forward to bouncing back from the 3-2 defeat to Ireland in the last friendly match as they prepare for the World Cup.
He was speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of today’s international friendly match against Switzerland at Tissot Arena in Biel,
Mwape said it hasn’t been challenging coming up with the final squad which is expected to be unveiled after the friendly against Switzerland because the players have all been given a chance to be considered for selection.
“It is not a big challenge as such but we just have to be fair to all the players we have to pick players on merit so it’s not a big challenge and we are almost there. We are managing and I’m sure in the next two, three days we will be able to announce the final squad.
“Against Switzerland, the girls are ready because we have seen for the past two weeks the way they have trained and you can see the way they trained showed that they are almost getting ready for the World Cup and for the game against Switzerland, we expect them to do better than they did against Ireland,” Mwape said.
He said the team was injury free and everyone is ready for Switzerland.
Asked how the team plans to bounce back from its failure to overcome European teams, Mwape said; “We have struggled against non-African countries but what you should also realize is that some of these teams compete at a higher level. Even the clubs they are coming from are always competing at a higher level compared to us.”
“I’m sure you can bear with me if you happen to watch the local league, you can see that the competition is not that stiff but that shouldn’t be an excuse. When we organize friendly games sometimes it is not the result that matters what matters most is the way the team is shaping up,” Mwape said.
“If you look at where we are coming from and where we are I’m sure you are able to see that there is a big improvement, there is a big difference now. We are almost getting to the level where people expect us to be,” he said.
Mwape is expected to make a few changes to the team that played Ireland following the arrival of defender Martha Tembo, midfielder Ireen Lungu, Hellen Chanda, and goalkeeper Catherine Musonda on Wednesday after concluding their club duties in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda said the team was determined to beat Switzerland to bounce back from the defeat to Ireland.
After playing Switzerland, the Copper Queens will finalize their World Cup preps with a friendly against Germany on July 7.
At the World Cup kicking off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand, Zambia will compete in Group C with Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica.
