The Copper Queens are back in action on Wednesday during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), as the tournament hits day three today.

In today’s matches, the defending champions South Africa will take on Ghana, while Mali will go up against Tanzania.

Coach Nora Hauptle’s team is looking to secure a win against Senegal on Wednesday, after only managing to get one point from their first game against the hosts, Morocco.

On the flip side, Senegal could make it to the quarter-finals if they manage to defeat Zambia.

They are currently at the top of Group A with three points, thanks to their impressive 4–0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in their first match yesterday.

Zambia, whose midfield struggled in the game against Morocco, needs to be cautious of the threat from France-based forward Mama Diop, who caused problems for the Congolese defense and scored two goals.

Diop’s tendency to take long-range shots is another concern that the Copper Queens’ goalkeepers will have to keep an eye on.

Coach Hauptle is likely to stick with the attacking pair of African Footballer of the Year Barbara Banda and Racheal Kundananji, while there may be some adjustments in midfield, especially since the 3-4-3 formation used against Morocco left too much open space in the center.

It’s also uncertain if Hauptle will keep Ngambo Musole as the goalkeeper, since first-choice goalie Catherine Musonda missed the match against Morocco due to health issues.

This will be only the second time Zambia and Senegal meet in WAFCON.

Their previous encounter, during the 2022 edition, saw the Copper Queens triumph over the Lionesses of Teranga 4–2 in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Hazel Nali saved two penalties and scored the decisive one, helping Zambia reach the semi-finals and marking their first qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup that year.

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(image by FAZ )