Grant tips Copper Queens
…as Bruce Mwape declares team ready for battle
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
CHIPOLOPOLO coach Avram Grant has urged the Copper Queens to believe in themselves as they have a chance to do well at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which started yesterday in Australia and New Zealand.
Grant said the Copper Queens have what it takes to compete in Group C which he described as the toughest group.
The Chipolopolo head gaffer said he has seen a lot of positives from the Copper Queens who have been finetuning since beating Germany 3-2 in their final pre-World Cup friendly match played on July 7 in Furth.
“From what I know and from what I saw, I think Group C is the toughest group because Spain is a fantastic team, Japan has a good team, and Costa Rica also but in football you never know. We have the players and the quality in the right places, I think the team can win games. It doesn’t matter if it is a tough group,” Grant said.
Meanwhile, Copper Queen’s coach Bruce Mwape says the girls are ready for the World Cup after working on their mistakes made in the game against Germany.
Mwape said the Copper Queens who will kick off their World Cup campaign with a clash against Japan tomorrow before facing Spain and Costa Rica in the other fixtures had done their homework to ensure that they commence their campaign with victory.
“We have done our homework. We have worked on the mistakes, especially the ones we identified during the game against Germany, and going forward I’m sure there will be an improvement, and as far as I’m concerned the team is ready for the World Cup,” Mwape said.
“We are ready for Japan and I’m sure even they are not sleeping, especially after beating Germany. They will make sure that they give us a tough time and even us we want to make sure that we carry the day,” Mwape said.
Mwape said the girls were motivated to make history at the World Cup following interactions with President Hakainde Hichilema and the Zambian community in New Zealand.