FIFA Women’s W/Cup: Cooper Queens coach invites 33 to camp
Zambia women’s national team (Copper Queens) head coach, Bruce Mwape, has announced his 33-member local-based squad to begin preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Football Federation of Zambia confirmed on Tuesday.
The 2023 women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 20 July – 20 August.
It will be the first Copper Queens camp of the year after ending 2022 on a high by playing two high-profile international friendly matches against Colombia in November.
The camp provides Mwape with an opportunity to have a look at the local ensemble of players while keeping an eye on foreign-based players that are actively involved in Europe as the Copper Queens look to be involved in the FIFA international window next month.
Zaragoza CFF striker Hellen Mubanga is the only foreign-based player in Mwape’s squad and will be making her return to the Copper Queens squad after being out for 15 months while recovering in Zambia from a knee injury.
Mubanga, who has not played for club and country since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was ruled out for the rest of the 2021/22 season due to a torn meniscus in her right knee which required an operation in November 2021.
The residential camp will run from 22-28 January.
READ ALSO Women’s World Cup: Zambia’s Barbra Banda gets FIFA all clear
The Copper Queens claimed bronze medal at the 2022 Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco after beating the Super Falcons 1-0 in the third-place match. They will be making their maiden appearance at this year’s women’s World Cup.
Other African representatives at the World Cup are WAFCON champions Banyana Banyana of South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria.
The Cooper Queens are sure to get a boost from Barbra Banda who was a delight at the Tokyo Olympic despite Zambia’s poor run at the event. Banda who was prevented from participating at the last African Women Nations cup in in Morocco over hormone issue was recently cleared by FIFA an indication she will boost the Cooper Queens at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later in the year.
Banda plies her trade with Chinese club Shanghai Shengli