The Zambia women's national association football team, also known as the Copper Queens, represents Zambia in association football. They participate in qualifying tournaments for the FIFA Women's World Cup and other African-based competitions. This article delves into the football history between Zambia and Japan, highlighting their encounters in international competitions.
Early History of Zambia Women's National Team
In 2003, the team's kit was sponsored by Umbro, who initially agreed to sponsor the Zambia national football team. Some matches were played in 1994 for qualification for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. Zambia played in a 5 November 1994 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in South Africa, where Zambia lost 3-5. Between these games and 2001, it did not play in any FIFA sanctioned matches.
2002 COSAFA Cup
Zambia participated in the 2002 COSAFA Cup women's tournament in Harare, Zimbabwe. It was in Group A. The team's performance included:
- Beating the Malawi women's national football team 8-0 on 20 April.
- Losing to the Zimbabwe women's national football team 0-4 on 22 April.
- Beating the Lesotho women's national football team 3-1 on 23 April.
Zambia finished second in its group. On 26 April, it lost to the South Africa women's national football team 1-3 in the semifinals. It went on to beat the Mozambique women's national football team 1-0 in the third-place game, with Julia Siame scoring the only goal in the 60th minute.
Subsequent Years and Rankings
Later that year, in a regional qualifying match for a different tournament, on 21 September in Lusaka, Zambia against South Africa, the team lost 1-4 after being down 0-2 at the half. In 2005, the team's FIFA ranking was unchanged and remained at 113, with it playing in no FIFA recognised matches. The following year, in 2006, Zambia's world ranking dropped down to 126. That year, the head coach was George Chikokola.
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2006 COSAFA Women's Football Tournament
In 2006, Zambia hosted a regional COSAFA women's football tournament. Originally nine countries were scheduled to participate, but Mozambique withdrew, and the number was cut to eight. The 2006 team had 20 players. The regional COSAFA championship team was announced on 18 August 2006. The 2006 Confederation of Southern African Football Associations women's tournament was held in Lusaka. It was in Group A.
- On 22 August, it tied Namibia 2-2 with Noria Sosala scoring in the 15th minute and Charity Mpongo scoring in the 30th minute for Zambia.
- It beat Swaziland 7-0 on 24 August, with Charity Mpongo scoring in the 23rd, 43rd, 64th, and 67th minutes, Susan Banda scoring in the 37th minute, Gift Lishika scoring in the 41st minute, and Martha Kapombo scoring in the 56th minute for Zambia.
Zambia finished at the top of its group. On 25 August in a semifinal against Namibia, it tied 1-1 with Martha Kapombo scoring its only goal in the 90th minute. It lost the game in an overtime shoot out by 4-5.
Rank Improvement and Challenges
2007 saw an improvement in rank for Zambia, moving up 9 sports to 117 best team in the world. That year, the team was supported to participate in the 2007 African Games qualifying tournament, opening against the Mozambique women's national football team and Zambia withdrew from the tournament before it played a single game. Later that year, on Sunday, 2 December 2007 in a game played in Harare, Zimbabwe won 3-1 against Zambia. In 2008, the team's ranking again went up, this time to 110. The played 1 FIFA recognised match on Sunday, 4 May 2008 in a game played in Benguela against Botswana. Zambia won 4-2, holding on from a 3-1 score at the half.
2009-2012: Fluctuating Rankings and Olympic Qualification Efforts
In 2009, FIFA ranked the country as the 92nd in the world. That year, it did not play any FIFA recognised matches. The team's world ranking fell in 2010 to 122. That year, it played in 2 FIFA recognised matches. The first was on Saturday, 2 October 2010 in a game played in Lobatse against Botswana, which Zambia won 4-1, holding on to a 3-0 half-time lead. The second game was on Saturday, 23 October 2010 in a game played in Lusaka.
Zambia team's rank fell in 2011, this time to 125th best in the world. It did not make it into the final group qualification round for the CAF region that fought it out to represent Africa in the World Cup. In January, the team played a pair of games against South Africa. It lost the 15 January game in Lusaka 1-2, going down with a score of 0-0 at the half. It lost the 29 January game in Umlazi 0-3 after being down 0-1 at the half. Later that year, it played 3 games in Harare against South Africa, Tanzania, and Botswana.
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Going into the 2012 season, the team coach is Enala Phiri-Simbeye, a woman with Deborah Chisanga serving as the team's skipper. On 14 January 2012, it played a game against Malawi that it won 7-0 after being ahead 4-0 at the half. The game was part of the CAF African Women's Championship and was played in the first round and played in Lusaka. Prior to the start of the game, the team danced on the field and sang Chikokishi music. Malawi beat Zambia 4-2 following a 1-0 lead at halftime in the return leg played in Blantyre, Malawi on 29 January 2012. Suzan Banda scored the second goal of the game, and the first for Zambia in the match. Mupopa Kawange scored Zambia's second goal.
For the 2012 Summer Olympics, there are no age restrictions for players, and Zambia opted to qualify with a U20/U23 side. Zambia competed in the qualifying tournament in an effort to represent the country at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The qualification tournament started in 2010. The team was coached by Enala Phiri-Simbeye. During its campaign, it beat the Botswana women's national football team 4-1 in Gaborone and beat it 2-1 in Lusaka. The performance of the team earned praise from women's groups inside the country.
2011 All-Africa Games Qualifiers
In January 2011, Zambia had to face South Africa in the qualifying tournament for the Olympics. Coached by Enala Simbeya, Zambia's U23 team participated in the 2011 All-Africa Games qualifiers. They played a pair of games against Zimbabwe. On Sunday, 13 February 2011 in a game played at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe won 1-0 against Zambia, overcoming a half-time score of 0-0. On the return leg played on Sunday, 27 February 2011 in a game played at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia lost 1-3 to Zimbabwe, scoring a goal in the second half with the first half ending with Zambia down 0-3. Simbeya did not name their 18-woman team until a day before the game.
Homeless World Cup
In 2008, a team represented the country at the Homeless World Cup. In round-robin play, it won every game and was Crowned Champions. The tournament was held in Australia Melbourne. It beat Paraguay 6-1, Uganda 6-1, Kyrgyzstan 5-4, Liberia 4-1, Cameroon 17-0, Australia 18-1, and Colombia 10-1. In the half finals, it beat Kyrgyzstan 10-0.
Zambia Ready to Compete in Women's World Cup
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Zambia qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, making the country the first landlocked nation in Africa to qualify for a senior World Cup in either gender. By reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations it secured qualification. It was in Group C along with Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica.
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Its opening match against Japan ended in a 5-0 defeat. Its second match was a loss to Spain by the same 5-0 score, leading to their elimination from the Group Stage alongside Costa Rica. Their final game, which was played against Costa Rica, ended with a 3-1 win to Zambia as they placed third within Group C on three points.
Match Details: Japan vs. Zambia
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup continued with a Group C matchup between Zambia and Japan at FMG Stadium Waikato in New Zealand. Here are the key moments from the match:
- First Half: Japan dominated early, with Hinata Miyazawa scoring the first goal.
- Second Half: Japan continued to press, with Mina Tanaka and Jun Endo adding goals.
- Penalty: Japan netted its fifth goal on a late penalty after a red card was issued to Zambia's goalkeeper, Catherine Musonda.
| Team | Goals |
|---|---|
| Japan | 5 |
| Zambia | 0 |
Despite the loss, Zambia's participation in the World Cup marked a significant milestone in the nation's football history. The team's journey and determination have inspired many, and they continue to strive for success in future competitions.
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