Zambia head coach Nora Huptle believes her side has what it takes to upset Nigeria’s Super Falcons when both teams meet in their second Group B match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday.
Huptle expressed confidence in her team’s ability to compete against the nine-time African champions, insisting that Zambia will play for victory rather than settle for a draw.
“We never play for a draw; it’s not in our nature. We always chase for the lead in games,” Huptle said ahead of the encounter.
The Swiss tactician recalled Zambia’s defeat to Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the previous WAFCON edition, saying her players have learned valuable lessons from that experience.
“In the last edition we lost against Nigeria in the quarter-finals, but we learnt a lot from that game. In our match against Egypt we were flexible, so we can surprise Nigeria,” she added.
Huptle also pointed to Zambia’s recent exposure to high-level international opposition as a key factor behind her team’s development.
“We have grown as a team. This year we played in the FIFA Series where we faced top-20 teams in the world to learn about high-level games. The summary of those learnings has made us stronger and helped us grow, so I have a lot of confidence in my team.”
The Copper Queens will be aiming to continue their impressive progress on the continental stage when they face the Super Falcons in what is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the group stage.
