Copper Princesses geared for Ghana

ZAMBIA’S under-20 wom en’s national team players are bubbling with confi dence ahead of today’s cru cial 2022 Costa Rica FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup third round, second leg qualifier against Ghana.

The Copper Princesses who arrived in Accra yes terday will need to make up for the goalless draw in the first leg in Zambia to beat Ghana and progress to the final qualifying round of the youth women’s World Cup.

Striker Xiomara Mape pa who features for Lusaka Dynamos said the players were ready to face the Black Princesses who proved to be tough opponents in the first leg played two weeks ago in Lusaka.

Mapepa said preparations went well and the girls were determined to utilise their chances after failing to mae use of the many scoring chances created in the first leg.

“Personally, I want to score a hat trick to show that I can do better. We will manage them they are not strong. They are old while we are young but we will contain them. To the fans who be lieve in us, we promise them to work hard and not disap point them,” Mapepa said.

Meanwhile, defender Es ther Siamfuko of Queens Academy said the teams’ main aim is to beat Ghana to progress to the final qualify ing round.

She noted that the Copper Princesses learnt a lot from the first leg which presented them a chance to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.

Team coach Charles Haa lubono named a 22-mem ber squad for today’s third round, second leg 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ghana.

Haalubono has retained faith in the players who post ed a 0-0 home draw against the Black Princesses with the addition of two under-17 starlets Jessy Zulu and Luba si Pumulo who won gold at the just ended African Union Sports Council Region V Games Maseru 2020.

The winner over the two legs will face either South Af rica or Uganda in the penul timate qualifying round.