Zambia U17 Women’s National Team head coach Carol Kanyemba has urged her players to approach their crucial final Group D fixture against France with confidence, composure and national pride as the Copper Princesses look to finish their 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup campaign strongly.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Kanyemba said the team would focus on implementing the lessons from training, expressing themselves on the pitch and managing France’s strengths while making the most of their own abilities.
“We’ll be looking at implementing the things that we’ve been working on,” Kanyemba said. “We know they’ve got their strengths and weaknesses, equally we do have strengths and weaknesses, but we want to try and play our game. We want the girls to be able to express themselves, to show what they’re able to do.”
With Zambia looking to keep their hopes of progressing in the tournament alive, the coach emphasised the importance of avoiding fear and maintaining discipline throughout the match. She challenged the players to trust themselves, remain composed and make the right decisions under pressure.
“We’re encouraging them not to have fear of anything because this game is a do-or-die. You get a win, we’re better off; you get a draw, it’s okay. But most importantly, we want to see the implementation of the things that we’ve been working on. The most important thing is not to have fear, but believe in themselves, be composed, and do the right thing,” she said.
Kanyemba also highlighted the significance of representing Zambia on a special day for the nation, saying the team would draw motivation from the country’s Independence Day celebrations as they prepare to take on France.
“We are patriotic Zambians, we are only Zambians because of one Zambia, so we are playing for Mother Zambia even as we play tomorrow,” she stated. “So we’ll give it our all, being the special day that we have as a country. We’ll give it our all to say thank you very much for the support that everyone has been giving us.”
The coach acknowledged that the team may not have met the expectations of all supporters but stressed that developing young players remains a key part of their mission. She appealed to fans to continue supporting the Copper Princesses as they gain valuable experience on the global stage.
“We pray that they continue running behind us. We might not have reached the expectations of most people, but we are a developing country, we are a developing team, and our role is to continue developing these players so that they may be able to fit in the senior team and any other category above,” Kanyemba said.
The encounter against France presents another important test for Zambia’s young players, with Kanyemba calling for belief, tactical discipline and fearless performances as the team seeks to represent the country with pride.
