WE’LL BRUISE MOROCCO – HÄUPTLE

By BARNABAS ZULU

COPPER Queens head coach Nora Häuptle has declared her team is mentally and physically prepared to “hunt” hosts Morocco when the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 kicks off in a week’s time.
Speaking from the team’s training base in Morocco, Häuptle said the full squad is now in camp following the arrival of the final group of players on Wednesday.
Despite early travel delays, she said the team has quickly gelled and built strong momentum ahead of the continental showdown.
“We had our second training session here with the complete squad on Friday. The mood is excellent. I think we have found a very good balance between having a good mood and working hard,” she said.
With the Copper Queens drawn in the same group as tournament hosts and 2022 finalists Morocco, Häuptle noted the challenge ahead but remained confident in her team’s competitive spirit and readiness to deliver.
“We are ready to hunt (against Morocco). They have technically good players, and we are aware of that, but we want to challenge them the best we can and find the right strategy to go at them,” Häuptle stated.
The Swiss tactician revealed that preparations have gone beyond physical training and tactical drills. She said the team is also focused on building a strong identity and values that they hope to demonstrate on and off the pitch.
“We had a very good session yesterday about our values, how we want to act on the pitch, how we want to be recognised, and what kind of culture we want to express to the outside,” she told FAZ Media.
Häuptle also appealed to Zambians at home and abroad to rally behind the national team throughout the tournament.
“We hope that as many fans as possible can arrive here in Morocco to support us on-site, or if it’s not possible, that you are behind the televisions. We expect the full nation to be cheering for us and carrying us through this group stage,” she said.
Zambia is set to open their WAFCON campaign with a tough test against Morocco, who will be backed by home fans and arrive with high expectations after their impressive performance in the last edition.