Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda says Zambia respects Nigeria but will not fear the west Africans as the two sides battle it out this Friday in the quarter finals at the ongoing Morocco TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Zambia, who finished the group stage with seven points, are preparing to face the Super Falcons of Nigeria in a rematch of the 2022 WAFCON bronze medal match, a game the Copper Queens won 1-0.
Banda who has been in prolific form at the African football showpiece said the outcome of the 2022 WAFCON match gives the team belief that they can pull off a positive result.
The Orlando Pride forward was however quick to acknowledge that Friday’s fixture will be a different encounter from the last time the two teams met three years ago.
The Copper Queens captain stressed the need to maintain the discipline, energy and focus the side displayed during the final group stage encounter against Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We now know we are facing Nigeria, and for us, it’s just about being ready mentally, physically and tactically. We respect them, but we don’t fear anyone. We know what we are capable of as a team. It’s not a new feeling. We have faced them before and came out with a positive result. That gives us belief, but we also know this is a new game and a new challenge,” Banda said in an interview with FAZ Media monitored by ZANIS Sports.
Meanwhile, Banda said Zambia’s unbeaten run in the group stage is a sign of good organization in the squad as the team prepares for Friday’s TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinal against Nigeria.
Banda said the team’s ability to bounce back with a clean sheet against DR Congo after conceding four goals in the first two games is a sign of improvement.
“The game against DR Congo was good. I think we had a lot of possession and we stuck to our values and principles, which the coach wanted,” Banda said, reflecting on Zambia’s 1-0 win that sealed second spot in Group A. I think we played so well as a team and we are heading in the right direction. It’s a good record coming out of the first round without a loss, and now we are looking forward to the quarterfinals, we are up and ready for it,” she said.
Banda has already scored three goals at the tournament, the same number of strikes as teammate and fellow American based forward Racheal Kundananji.
