ZAMBIA COME TO town tomorrow as Ireland begin to fine-tune their World Cup preparations.
Their African visitors will be doing just that too, another one of the eight World Cup debutantes this summer.
The Copper Queens are the first team from any landlocked African nation to qualify for a senior World Cup, male or female, and are third seeds in Group C alongside Spain, Costa Rica and Japan. Ireland are in the same position in Group B with Australia, Canada and Nigeria, and Vera Pauw sees this as perfect preparation for their African group opposition, the Super Falcons.
Ireland are placed significantly higher than both in the Fifa World Rankings: 22nd, with Nigeria 40th and Zambia 77th — but African nations’ struggles to collect ranking points is a story for another day.
Exactly one week out from Pauw’s final squad announcement, this is a huge opportunity for players to stake a claim to be one of the 23 (plus three training players) heading Down Under.
A certain element of unknown lies ahead. This is Ireland’s first meeting with Zambia, a sold-out Tallaght Stadium set to host it [KO 7.30pm, live on RTÉ 2].
Vibrant, energetic and ambitious, Zambia are one of the most exciting attacking forces in African football. Pauw expects similar threats to Nigeria, a kindred fast-emerging power on the continent she once coached on. She was South Africa manager from 2014 to 2016, and also sourced Morocco as friendly opposition (4-0 win) late last year after qualification.
Bruce Mwape has been Zambia boss since May 2018. A native of the country, he hopes his team can “shake the whole world” this summer.
Key to their fortunes is their lively, unpredictable attack, led by captain Barbra Banda. Her international goal-scoring record — 22 in 10 appearances — speaks for itself, and the 23-year-old Shanghai Shengli striker is a genuine superstar.
She has been at the centre of controversy too, but more on that later.
Having also enjoyed an amateur boxing career, Banda really broke onto the world stage amidst Zambia’s maiden Olympic Games tournament in 2021. She became the first woman to score consecutive hat-tricks at a single Olympic tournament, equaling the record six-goal tally of Canadian legend Christine Sinclair in 2012 before Netherlands’ Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema surpassed them both.
Zambia didn’t win a game in Tokyo; defeated 10-3 by the Dutch and 1-0 by Brazil, but a 4-4 draw with China PR in between saved face. Ireland drew 0-0 with China in February.
Mwape’s side appear to have struck a better balance since then, improving their defensive record as women’s football in Zambia continues to grow apace. The manager always deploys a back four, generally going with a 4-2-3-1 formation but switching to 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 at times.
The Copper Queens secured their first-ever podium finish at the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, stunning — you guessed it — Nigeria 1-0 in their third-place game to seal historic World Cup qualification.
Incredibly, they did so without Banda. Their taliswoman missed the tournament after failing an eligibility test due to (naturally) high testosterone levels. After taking medication to lower them, she returned to excel at the COSAFA Cup. Zambia won the competition for South African nations on the back of four clean sheets in their five matches and Banda finished top-scorer with 10 goals.
She’s named in their final World Cup squad, having received the green light from Fifa last December. The Athletic have covered the Banda story in brilliant depth.
Like Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala is for Nigeria, Banda is the undoubted focal point for Zambia, but there’s other players to be wary of throughout the team: 15 ply their trade professionally away from their homeland across Europe and Asia, including the multi-talented Racheal Nachula.
Nachula is a former 400m runner who represented Zambia at the 2008 Olympic Games, but now plays for Zaragoza CFF in Spain’s second-tier. While she’s 37, Racheal Kundananji is at the other end of the scale at 23 and was the second top-scorer in La Liga.
Kundananji’s Madrid CFF team-mate Grace Chanda generally runs the show in midfield, and another skillful attacker, 20-year-old Evarine Katongo will be by her side. A bag of tricks, she’s rated one of Africa’s brightest emerging talents and her all-action performances have drawn comparisons with N’Golo Kante.
Pace and power is the name of their game, with the electric Xiomara Mapepa epitomising the former, but from the outside looking in, Nigeria appear superior and one of the strongest fourth seeds Ireland could draw.
That said, it will be a tricky test for Pauw’s favourites, Zambia match-fit and on a high after beating Tanzania 1-0 last week.
