Zambia forward Rachael Kundananji has described Saturday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group C clash against Nigeria’s Super Falcons as a decisive encounter that could shape the fortunes of both teams in Morocco.
The two sides head into the fixture with contrasting results from their opening matches.
Defending champions Nigeria suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, while Zambia made an emphatic statement with a 6-0 victory over Egypt.
Speaking ahead of the match, Kundananji said the Copper Queens are fully prepared for the challenge and understand the importance of the encounter.
“The team’s morale is high and everyone is ready.
We know it will be a difficult match, but it is one that could determine the path for both teams in the competition. We are focused on giving our best,” she said.
Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle also stressed that her side would be aiming for all three points rather than settling for a draw.
“We never play for a draw. Our philosophy is to play positively and compete for victory.
“We learned valuable lessons from our previous meeting with Nigeria, and our performance against Egypt showed our flexibility.
“We hope to use that to our advantage,” Häuptle said.
The Swiss tactician added that Zambia’s preparations, which included high-profile international friendlies against top-ranked teams during the FIFA Series, have contributed significantly to the team’s development.
“We have gained valuable experience by playing strong opponents.
” Those matches have helped us grow as a team and given us greater confidence heading into this tournament,” she added.
Nigeria and Zambia have met four times previously at the WAFCON. The Super Falcons have won three of those encounters, while Zambia has recorded one victory.
Nigeria claimed convincing group-stage wins of 6-0 in 2014 and 4-0 in 2018. Zambia secured their first victory over the Super Falcons with a 1-0 win in the third-place playoff at the 2022 tournament.
Nigeria responded in style by defeating the Copper Queens 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2024 edition before going on to lift the continental title.
