Zambia’s football fortunes have taken supporters on an emotional journey in recent weeks, with the Copper Queens producing some of the most impressive performances of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations before suffering a painful group-stage elimination.
The Copper Queens arrived in Morocco with high expectations and immediately demonstrated why they are regarded as one of Africa’s strongest women’s teams. Their opening Group C match against Egypt on July 28 was a statement of intent as Zambia demolished the North Africans 6-0.
Captain Barbra Banda was the star of the show, scoring four goals in a remarkable individual performance. Racheal Nachula opened the scoring from the penalty spot, while Eneless Phiri also found the net as Zambia produced one of the tournament’s most emphatic victories.
The result appeared to put the Copper Queens firmly in control of their campaign. Zambia had demonstrated attacking power, confidence and the ability to dismantle a traditionally competitive opponent.
But the tournament quickly became more complicated.
In their second Group C match, Zambia faced defending champions Nigeria and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat, with Asisat Oshoala scoring the only goal of the match.
That result left Zambia needing a strong performance against neighbouring Malawi in the final group match.
The Copper Queens responded.
On August 5, Zambia defeated Malawi 2-1, with Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya putting Zambia in a commanding position before Malawi pulled a goal back through Tabitha Chawinga. Zambia held on for the victory, but the result ultimately proved insufficient to take them into the quarter-finals.
The disappointment was compounded by the fact that Zambia finished the group stage with six points—the same total accumulated by both Malawi and Nigeria. However, the competition’s tiebreaking system worked against the Copper Queens, sending Malawi and Nigeria through while Zambia were eliminated.
The elimination was particularly painful because Zambia had won two of their three matches. Indeed, the Copper Queens became the first team in WAFCON history to win six points in the group stage and still fail to reach the quarter-finals.
A campaign of contrasts
Zambia’s WAFCON campaign therefore tells two very different stories.
On one hand, there was the breathtaking attacking football that produced six goals against Egypt. Banda’s four-goal performance underlined her status as one of the continent’s most dangerous forwards, while the overall display demonstrated the depth of attacking talent available to the Copper Queens.
On the other hand, the defeats and narrow margins against Nigeria and Malawi exposed how unforgiving tournament football can be.
The final Group C standings were particularly cruel. Zambia, Malawi and Nigeria all finished on six points, but the tiebreaking criteria determined the two quarter-finalists. Malawi advanced despite losing to Zambia in the final match, while Nigeria also progressed after defeating Egypt 6-2.
For Zambia, the result means that a team capable of scoring six goals in one match and winning two of its three games will now watch the knockout stages from the sidelines.
Still a team with plenty to offer
Despite the disappointment, there are reasons for optimism.
The Copper Queens continue to possess world-class attacking talent, led by Banda, while players such as Racheal Kundananji and Prisca Chilufya provide Zambia with pace and creativity. The 6-0 demolition of Egypt showed that Zambia can compete with and overwhelm some of the continent’s best teams.
The challenge now is to turn spectacular individual performances into greater tournament consistency.
Zambia’s recent results before WAFCON also showed a team capable of competing strongly at international level. The Copper Queens drew 1-1 with Algeria in July and had earlier defeated Zimbabwe 3-0 in a friendly, although they lost 1-0 to Algeria in the other July friendly. These matches formed part of the preparations for the continental tournament.
The immediate WAFCON disappointment should therefore not obscure the broader progress of Zambian women’s football.
The Copper Queens have established themselves as a major force on the continent and continue to produce players capable of performing on the international stage.
Their elimination in Morocco is undoubtedly a setback, but it is also a reminder of the fine margins that separate success from disappointment in major tournaments.
For Zambian football, the task is now to learn from the campaign, strengthen the squad and ensure that the next opportunity ends with the Copper Queens going further.
The talent is clearly there. What Zambia needs is the consistency and tournament efficiency to match it.
