Zambia’s Under-17 Women’s National Football Team, the Copper Princesses, will begin their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign against Japan tomorrow as they look to make a positive start to the tournament in Morocco.
The Group D encounter is scheduled for 17:00 hours Central African Time, with coach Carol Kanyemba’s side determined to challenge a Japanese team that has beaten Zambia in their previous two meetings at the competition.
Japan recorded a 4-1 victory over the Copper Princesses at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup before securing a 2-0 win in 2025. Zambia will therefore be aiming to produce a stronger performance and change the outcome when the sides meet for the third time.
Speaking ahead of the match, Kanyemba expressed confidence in her team’s readiness, saying the technical bench understands the challenge Japan presents. She indicated that Zambia would adopt a tactical approach as they seek to overcome their previous results against the Asian side.
Defender Beatrice Njobvu believes a positive result in the opening fixture would provide an important foundation for the Copper Princesses’ remaining group matches. Midfielder Agness Mwaka also highlighted unity and communication as key factors in Zambia’s bid to secure victory.
The Copper Princesses are among 24 nations competing at the tournament, which is being staged in Rabat, Morocco. Zambia have been drawn in Group D alongside Japan, France and Venezuela, setting up a challenging group-stage campaign.
With the top two teams in each group advancing automatically to the Round of 16, a strong start could prove vital to Zambia’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.
The Copper Princesses will now look to turn their preparations into a positive result against Japan and give their World Cup campaign an encouraging start.
