Zambia coach Bruce Mwape has set a target to reach the knockout stage of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

The Copper Queens will be taking part in the competition for the first time and on Wednesday they held their first training session at Beetham Park in Hamilton since their arrival in New Zealand in readiness for the battle. The Copper Queens chose Hamilton as its base camp and are staying at the Novotel Hamilton Tainui in the heart of Hamilton where they will play two of the three group matches against Japan on July 22 and Costa Rica on July 31.

Speaking to the media, Mwape said anything beyond the knockout stage will be a bonus to the Copper Queens: “To reach the knockout stage that’s our priority. We want to get to the knockout stage what comes thereafter will be a bonus,” Mwape said, adding: “We have done a good job, we are prepared to face any team. In our Group, the teams that we are facing all of them have been to the World Cup it’s we who are going there for the first time…..but that doesn’t mean that we will go there just to participate we will go there to compete.”

Read Also: Zambia Goalie, Nali To Miss 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

He continued: “Even in our region, football has really improved, for us to get to the World Cup it means that we are doing fine in fact we are not the only country representing the region even South Africa qualified for the World Cup.”

On Tuesday, Zambia suffered a huge blow after their first-choice goalkeeper Hazel Nali suffered an injury and was ruled out of the tournament. Nali sustained a left knee injury in the period preceding the July 7 international friendly against Germany in Furth and further underwent a medical check-up in Germany and New Zealand which ruled her out of the tournament.

Zambia will take on Japan on July 22 at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton with the second match coming up four days later in Auckland against Spain at Eden Park Stadium. The final group match will be against Costa Rica on July 31 at Waikato Stadium.