By Lydia Makina
A heartfelt apology came from Copper Queens Captain Barbara Banda after Zambia’s 5-0 loss to Nigeria in the Women Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals.
“To the people of Zambia… we’re deeply sorry for our performance. We fell short of your expectations,” Barbara expressed, gratitude evident for the unwavering fan support that has followed the team throughout their journey. The Captain acknowledged that the team didn’t meet the standards expected of them by the nation, and for that, they were truly sorry.
Coach Nora Hauptle echoed Barbara’s sentiments, acknowledging Nigeria’s superiority on the day. “Today none of us were on top. It was a collective loss… Nigeria outperformed us in every aspect of the game,” she said.
According to Hauptle, one of the major differences between the two teams was the level of international experience among the players. She noted that only about 10 Zambian players have the opportunity to compete abroad, whereas the Nigerian squad is mostly comprised of players who compete in France or America.
Another glaring disparity between the two nations is population, with Nigeria boasting a staggering 200 million people compared to Zambia’s 20 million. This significant difference naturally affects the talent pool available to each nation, with Hauptle conceding that Nigeria simply has more talent to choose from.
Physicality was another area where the Nigerians had a noticeable advantage, with Hauptle stating that the Zambian players were not on the same level as their opponents.
To bridge this gap, Hauptle urged the need for Zambian players to gain more international experience by playing abroad earlier in their careers. “We need to accept reality and find ways to make this happen… We’ll learn from our mistakes and come back stronger,” she vowed.
The Copper Queens remain committed to their fans and to rebuilding, with Barbara promising that the team will keep pushing themselves to be the best version possible and make the nation proud once again.
