Zambia U-17 women’s national team head coach Carol Kanyemba has warned that her side risks repeating last year’s disappointing FIFA World Cup performance if they do not face strong international opponents in friendly matches before heading to Morocco 2025.
With just 15 days left before kickoff, Kanyemba believes that training alone will not be enough to prepare her young squad for the high intensity of World Cup football.
“We’ve just been training. What we’re seeing now is not what we’ll see against high-profile teams,” Kanyemba said during a media briefing at Reiz Arena in Lusaka. “We are looking forward to having two or three international friendlies so that we can gauge the team properly.”
Last year, Zambia returned to the World Cup for the first time in a decade but endured a difficult outing in the Dominican Republic, losing all three group matches — 1-0 to Brazil, 2-0 to Poland, and 4-1 to Japan. Many attributed those results to poor preparations and lack of competitive friendlies.
Determined not to repeat history, Kanyemba — the first female Zambian coach to qualify a national team to a FIFA World Cup — has made it clear that her goal is to progress beyond the group stage.
“We want to go past the group stage, and that’s what we’re encouraging the girls to believe in,” she added. “But confidence alone is not enough. Without friendlies, the first World Cup game becomes your friendly — and that’s not good enough.”
Zambia has been placed in Group F alongside Paraguay, Japan, and New Zealand, kicking off their campaign against Paraguay on 19 October.
Meanwhile, sources within FAZ have confirmed that efforts are underway to secure the requested friendlies, with an announcement expected soon.
