We are one of the favourites – Zambia women’s football coach on playing at the Olympics
Zambia women’s coach fancies chances at Olympics
JOHANNESBURG, July 7 (ANA) – Despite making their first appearance at an Olympic Games later this month in Tokyo, Zambia women’s coach Bruce Mwape has said his charges are one of the contenders for the title.
Zambia will be making their Olympics Women’s Football Tournament debut and are drawn in Group F with Brazil, China and Netherlands.
“We are not going there as underdogs, but we are also going there as one of the favourites,” Mwape said, who also guided Zambia to the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“We are confident because just qualifying for the Olympics is a sign that hope is there that we can go very far in the competition.”
Zambia will open their Group F campaign on July 21 against 2019 Women’s World Cup runners-up Netherlands in Miyagi. The Dutch will be Zambia’s first-ever European opposition at senior level.
Mwape last week announced his 22-member Olympic squad, and kept faith in the core of players that have served him well throughout the gruelling five-round Olympic qualifying race in which they earned that lone Tokyo automatic ticket for Africa.
All three of Zambia’s big hitters with the exception of Spain-based forward Rachel Nachula have made the final squad.
Captain Barbara Banda, Khazak-based striker Rachel Kundananji and the African zone qualifiers top-scorer Grace Chanda – who finished on eight goals – are all heading to Japan.
Long-serving goalkeeper Hazel Nali returns following a nine-month absence after missing November’s friendly 2-1 win over Chile in Santiago, and April’s 3-1 away loss to Banyana Banyana in Johannesburg. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman