)
Get to know all the players in the Zambia squad participating at the Women’s World Cup this summer.
GOALKEEPERS
Name: Hazel Nali
Date of Birth: 4/04/1998
Club: Faith Vatan Spor (Turkey)
It was the shot-stopper who booked Zambia’s ticket to their maiden Women's World Cup, courtesy of some penalty heroics in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final. After saving a penalty against Senegal in the shootout, she sent the Copper Queens to Australia/New Zealand when she scored past her opposite number to win the match. The Turkish-based keeper secured her big move to Europe in 2020 with Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Israel. When asked to describe herself in one word, the jovial Nali replied: "Amazing". She is the longest-serving goalkeeper in the squad, having featured at the 2018 and 2022 Wafcon finals after graduating from the Under-17. Often stands out on the pitch with frequent changes of hairstyles, usually unique in design and colour.
Name: Catherine Musonda
Date of birth: 07/08/2004
Club: Tomiris-Turan (Kazakhstan)
Despite her young age she is already regarded as an experienced goalkeeper in the Copper Queens set-up, having competed in the Women's Afcon in 2018 and 2022. Not yet a regular starter for the national team, she still managed to get a move abroad, to Kazakhstan's Tomiris Turan in April, shortly after playing all four games for Zambia in the 2023 Turkish Women's Cup. Very versatile between the posts, she has been called up regularly for the past five years.
Name: Eunice Sakala
Date of Birth: 23/05/2002
Club: Nkwazi Queens (Zambia)
Profile: Despite having last played for the national team in a friendly against Botswana in May 2022, when she came on as a second-half substitute, Sakala was selected as the Copper Queens' third-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup. She missed out on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Women's African Cup of Nations but her outstanding performances for Nkwazi FC in the 2022-23 Zambian Women's Super League won over coach Bruce Mwape's heart and earned her a spot in the final 23.
DEFENDERS
Name: Martha Tembo
Date of birth: 8/03/1998
Club: BIIK Shymkent (Kazakhstan)
Off the pitch, Tembo is a very soft-spoken character, but on it, she is an absolute firecracker of a player. She will long be remembered for her heroic performance in the 2022 AFCON third-place play-off against heavyweights Nigeria, when she suffered not one but two fairly substantial injuries but kept on playing in a game Zambia went on to win. She provides a combination of tireless defending and explosive attacking down the flank and is arguably the most disciplined member of the squad. Represented Zambia at the Under-17 in 2014 before rising through the rank to become a key member of the Copper Queens defence.
Name: Margaret Belemu
Date of birth: 24/02/1997
Club: Hakkarigücü Spor (Turkiye)
Standing at only 1.52 metres Belemu has shown that size does not matter. The full-back is a household name in Zambia with famous rapper Chef 187 quoting the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger line with a little twist in one of his songs: "I'll be right back like Margaret Belemu." Growing up Belemu had to convince her mum that football was a good path to follow. "At the time that I started playing football, only my dad supported me,” she has said. “He was the one buying me boots and everything I needed. Mum wasn't because she wanted me to concentrate more at school. So I had to balance school with the football so that I could gain her support, which I did." Belemu competed at the 2022 Wafcon and was a key player in the Copper Queens’ 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign.
Name: Lushomo Mweemba
Date of birth: 10 April 2001
Club: Green Buffaloes (Zambia)
Mweemba’s passing range, tackling, ability to read the game and threat from set-pieces have often led to comparisons with the Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. She was a product of the Chibolya Queens youth set-up before representing Zambian police outfit Nkwazi FC. Having been injured and absent for two friendlies against South Korea in April – they ended in 5-2 and 5-0 defeats – Mweemba's return was marked by a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Tanzania. Not only does Mweemba represent a Zambian Army-sponsored side (Green Buffaloes), but she is also a lance corporal by profession.
Name: Agness Musesa
Date of birth: 11/07/1997
Club: Green Buffaloes (Zambia)
Musesa's shy and reserved persona makes her the most understated member of the backline. Whoever is in goal for the Copper Queens normally looks to Musesa for defensive shielding when centre-back partner Lushomo Mweemba is out on her attacking exploits. Musesa draws inspiration from the Zesco midfielder Donashano Malama, partly because the Zambia Army soldier can also play in that position.
The 26-year-old has not always been a guaranteed starter for the Copper Queens – but that began to change following the defeat to the Netherlands during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Since then Bruce Mwape has made the Green Buffaloes defender a regular.
Name: Vast Phiri
Date of Birth: 03/02/1996
Club: Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia)
Position: Right Back
She has said how much it means to wear the Zambia shirt, and despite having been in and out of the squad in recent years she impressed the coach, Bruce Mwape, enough at the 2023 Turkish Women’s Cup to earn a place in the World Cup squad. "For me, it's about fighting for the team and the country. I am ready to give everything for my country," she told FAZ TV. A quiet and reserved person off the pitch, Phiri went to the 2018 Wafcon and 2020 Tokyo Olympics but had lost her place by the time the 2022 Wafcon took place. She has not let the uncertainty of whether she is going to be called up or not have an impact on her desire to play for the national team. The full-back gives her all every time she is called upon.
Name: Judith Soko
Date of Birth: 30/03/2004
Club: YASA Girls (Zambia)
There had been concerns about the Copper Queens' lack of a natural left-back until Soko was called up for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals. Skilled at overlapping, she was promoted from the Under-20 team and quickly made a name for herself in the senior team despite frequently being used as a substitute. After being called up for the 2022 tournament, Soko told Zamfoot: "It's a dream come true. It feels nice to represent the country, especially at this stage where the whole of Africa and the world will be watching." She has said how thrilled she is to be playing with two of her idols in Barbra Banda and Margret Belemu.
Name: Mary Mulenga
Date of Birth: 11/04/1998
Club: Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
Just after she left for the Copper Queens’ pre-World Cup camp in Germany, Mulenga was shortlisted by the Zambia Air Force for military training. That speaks volumes about the type of person she is; strong both on and off the pitch. In the national set-up the Red Arrows defender is considered a backup option for Lushomo Mweemba, who has been out injured for a couple of months. In Mweemba's absence, Mulenga partnered Musesa in central defence in the two friendlies against South Korea in April, in which, sadly, the team conceded 10 goals in total. In Australia and New Zealand she is determined to show why she is the best defender at Arrows, who finished second in the Zambian Women's Super League last season.
Name: Esther Banda
Date of Birth: 21/11/2004
Club: Bauleni United Sports Academy (Zambia)
MIDFIELDERS
Name: Evarine Susan Katongo
Date of birth: 20/12/2002
Club: ZISD FC (Zambia)
Best known for her clever hold-up play and dribbling skills, she is a future midfield genius and the fastest rising star in Zambian women’s football. She started her career in the shanty compound of Chinika but quickly rose through the ranks of the Zambian national age groups to become a key figure for the seniors in the team that reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022. In fact, it was her deflected shot that saw Zambia beat Nigeria 1-0 to win bronze. “My dream is to play at the top level in Europe,” she told BolaNews.
Name: Ireen Lungu
Date of Birth: 6/10/1997
Club: BIIK Shymkent (Kazakhstan)
Profile: Because of her impressive performances in midfield, Lungu has gained the nickname "the female computer" after being compared to now-retired Brighton player Enock Mwepu. She recently moved from the Zambian Army team Green Buffaloes to Kazakhstan side BIIK Shymkent after an impressive showing at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and the CAF Women's Champions League, where she became the competition's first player to provide two assists in under a minute against Determine Girls FC of Liberia 4-0. Lungu has long-established herself in the Zambian squad as a key player, having played at the Costa Rica Under-17 World Cup in 2014 before being with the senior team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Name: Avell Chitundu
Date of Birth: 30/07/1997
Club: Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia)
Chitundu, a speedy midfielder who can also play as a forward, has bounced back after being dropped from the Copper Queens squad that competed in the Turkish Women's Cup in April, netting 12 goals in the Zambian Women's Super League for Zesco Ndola Girls in the 2022-23 season to gain a place in the World Cup squad. Despite a few omissions from national team squads, Chitundu told FAZ media: "I believe in hard work and letting my talent speak for me." She has played in two Wafcons, in 2018 and 2022, and scored once in the latter edition, which saw Zambia reach the semi-finals to secure their World Cup qualification.
Name: Hellen Chanda
Date of Birth: 19/06/1998
Club: BIIK Shymkent (Kazakhstan)
A fashion enthusiast, Chanda has returned to the Copper Queens squad after missing the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. She was a member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics squad but had not appeared for the national team in a competitive game before the World Cup squad was announced. However, she made an impression with Green Buffaloes in the Zambian Women's Super League and the CAF Women's Champions League towards the end of 2022 before joining Kazakhstan club BIIK Shymkent in January 2023, earning her a place in the national squad once more.
Name: Susan Banda
Date of Birth: 6/07/1990
Club: Red Arrows FC(Zambia)
A mother and one of the most experienced players in the Zambia Women's national team, having made her debut back in 2011. Banda, a quick and accurate passer who also serves as an officer in the Zambia Air Force, was a member of the Zambian team at the 2014 edition of Wafcon. She was instrumental in Red Arrows' 2022-23 Zambia Women’s Super League campaign, which saw them finish second, losing out to military rivals, Green Buffaloes, on the last day of the season. After impressing in friendlies against Tanzania, Ireland and Switzerland, Banda told BolaNews: "I hope to use my experience and help the team at the World Cup."
Name: Mary Wilombe
Date of Birth: 22/09/1997
Club: Red Arrows (Zambia)
Has risen through the national team ranks in the past nine years, competing in the 2014 Under-17 World Cup, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2022 Wafcon. She is one of the team's most experienced midfielders and played an important role as a substitute in the Copper Queens' road to the World Cup. "I encourage young girls to be focused, using myself as an example that where you are, I was also there, "she said after earning the best Zambian midfielder of the year award in 2021. “You think about your family with everything you get. I encourage them to be responsible, because progress in football should go hand in hand with progress in life."
ATTACKERS
Name: Barbra Banda
Date of birth: 20/03/2000
Club: Shanghai Shengli (China)
Returns to the international scene with a burning ambition to make up for lost time, having been excluded from the 2022 Wafcon for not matching CAF's gender verification test criteria, according to the Zambian FA. A decision that left fans and pundits dumbfounded. CAF has different test criteria to Fifa so she was cleared to play at the World Cup and if the Copper Queens progress from a group with heavyweights such as Spain and Japan, then Banda will have a huge hand to play in it. The standout Zambian star is the only woman in history to score back-to-back hat-tricks at the Olympics. Still only 23, she is eager to leave her mark on the world stage again, following her omission from last year's continental football. Speaking about the Copper Queens' World Cup debut, she told FAZ TV: "Looking at the level we are at now, we are not just going there to participate but to compete."
Name: Hellen Mubanga
Date of birth: 23/05/1995
Club: Real Zaragoza (Spain)
It was Mubanga's first-half added-time goal against Cameroon in 2020 that handed Zambia a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. The former Red Arrows star moved to Spain in 2020 to represent Real Zaragoza. "I am going there [Spain] with Rachael [Nachula] and it's good for Zambian football as it will open doors for more players to move to Europe," she said at the time. With Lionel Messi her favourite player, she will be hoping to impress Barcelona enough to win a move there in the future.
Name: Rachael Kundananji
Date of birth: 3/06/2000
Club: Madrid CFF (Spain)
Kundananji will relish the prospect of coming up against Ballon d'Or holder Alex Putellas and her Spanish teammates at the World Cup, having scored more goals than each of them in the Liga F 2022-23 season. As it was, Kundananji’s 23 goals was one fewer than Levante’s Alba Redondo. Such is Kundananji’s emergence that she could well dethrone Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala as the African Women's Footballer of the Year should the World Cup go her way. “I dream of one day playing for Chelsea and I will keep working hard to perform well at the World Cup,” she told Bolanews. After missing the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Kundananji returned to the squad with a bang scoring four goals in seven matches with the Copper Queens.
Name: Xiomera Mapepa
Date of birth: 4/06/ 2002
Club: Elite Ladies FC (Zambia)
Fresh from scooping the Zambian Super League Golden Boot with 26 goals, Mapepa is out to light up the World Cup too. Apparently, she fell 74 strikes short of her target, having joked at the start of the season that the aim was to get 100 goals. Her pace and skill have earned her comparisons to Paris St-Germain star Kylian Mbappé. In 2022, the speedy winger attended trials with Djurgården in Sweden, where her compatriot Emmanuel Banda played for the men's team but a deal did not materialise.
Name: Grace Chanda
Date of birth: 11 June 1997
Club: Madrid CFF (Spain)
Profile: In the absence of Barbra Banda, Chanda was the Copper Queens’ talisman at the 2022 Women's AFCON. She is arguably the most technically gifted player in the squad, and the playmaking genius was narrowly beaten by Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala for the 2022 CAF Women's Footballer of the Year. “For me, it's about enjoying the game and doing what the coach wants us to do,” she told FAZ TV. “So I want to go to the World Cup and do my best.” Nicknamed Dangote (after Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa), she is likely to move to a bigger club soon.
Name: Ochumba Oseke Lumbaji
Date of Birth: 1/07/2001
Club: Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
Profile: Despite the fact that she has only scored twice for the national team in the last two years at the time of writing, Ochumba is a fan favourite because of her dribbling wizardry. She is heading to the World Cup following a fantastic season with Red Arrows, where she was prolific, scoring 20 goals to finish second for the Golden Boot in the 2022–23 Zambian Women’s Super League season. She is desperate to start finding the net more regularly for the national team. "My dream is to play in the World Cup and showcase my talents to the world, and I am working on my finishing," she told FAZ TV.
Written by Calvin Kaumba Chikenge and Gerald Bupe Mambo for (BolaNews) for The Guardian
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)