Coach Nora Must Apologize to the People of Zambia
When Coach Bruce Mwape led the Copper Queens, he built a solid team over four years one that not only made history but also raised Zambia’s status in international women’s football. Under his leadership, the team qualified for back-to-back Olympics and earned a spot at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This success saw 9 Zambian players move abroad, now representing clubs across three continents. That speaks volumes about the progress Zambia made under his tenure.
Yet, despite this incredible run, Coach Bruce faced harsh criticism especially for the style of play many dubbed “route one” or “helicopter football.” After Zambia knocked Ghana out of the Olympic qualifiers, Coach Nora Hauptle, then coach of Ghana, openly ridiculed Bruce’s tactics at a post-match presser in Ndola, calling it “Chipante-pante football” a term used to describe chaotic, unstructured play.
Fast forward, Coach Nora is now at the helm of the Copper Queens. She was excited upon taking charge, stating that once her philosophy was applied to the foundation Bruce left behind, Zambia would become a continental giant.
But 10 games later with her worst result being a 5-0 thrashing by Nigeria at WAFCON 2024 Coach Nora now blames Zambia’s lack of talent as the main reason for poor results.
“Nigeria is a country of 200 million; Zambia only has 20 million. We don’t have so much talent,” she claimed.
“We have nine or ten players abroad, and the rest are in the domestic league. Physically, they are not at the same level.”
This shift in tone is unacceptable. The question is: Did Coach Nora not know this before applying for the job? If she was aware of the Zambian football landscape and she should have been, then her recent remarks feel more like an admission of failure than a realistic assessment.
Great coaches don’t complain; they build from what they have. When Zambia won the 2012 AFCON, how many players did we have in Europe? Not many. But Coach Hervé Renard made it work. He collaborated with local coaches, understood the league, and brought out the best in available players.
Nora’s job is not to send players abroad that’s for FIFA agents and clubs. Her duty is to develop local talent and mold a cohesive, competitive team.
There’s an old saying: “A bad carpenter blames their tools.” Similarly, it’s becoming clear that Coach Nora may be trying to deflect responsibility by pointing to player quality, rather than addressing tactical shortcomings.
Before the Nigeria loss, she boldly claimed the team was ready and “hungry” to make a statement at WAFCON. But when things fell apart, she blamed the talent pool. This lack of accountability is disappointing.
Let’s not forget, Nigeria lost to Zambia in the 2022 WAFCON and didn’t blame talent. They re-strategized, stuck with their core, and returned stronger. That’s how great teams and leaders operate.
We’ve seen this trend before foreign coaches come to Zambia with grand promises. But once challenges arise, they blame the players or lack of resources. This must stop.
If Coach Nora believes Zambia doesn’t have talent, why did she take the job? A basic requirement when applying for any role is to do thorough research. If she underestimated the task, she should own up, not shift blame.
She owes the Zambian football community an apology not just for the poor results, but for undermining the very players she’s supposed to uplift.
It’s time for introspection. Coach Nora must stop making excuses and start delivering. Build with what’s available. Partner with local coaches. Inspire, don’t discourage. The Copper Queens still have incredible potential what they need now is leadership, direction, and belief.
Zambia is not a footballing afterthought. It’s a proud footballing nation. Let’s treat it as such.
