Copper Queens coach Häuptle finds positives in their loss to Thailand

Photo Credit: Football Association of Zambia

Zambia senior women’s national football team coach Nora Häuptle has picked positives from her team’s 3-2 loss to Thailand in the opener of the 2025 Yongchuan International Tournament in China on Saturday.

In a post-match interview at the Yongchuan Sports Centre Stadium in Chongqing, the coach said the game helped her expose young players.

“We were more stable in defending, mostly when we conceded it was a give-away in transition. We had the ball and we lost it, but the basic defending is looking fine. It is just about finding the last pass towards the goal,” she told the Football Association of Zambia media.

The Copper Queens scored through Racheal Nachula and Ochumba Oseke Lubanji but it was not enough against the Asians.

Thailand scored first through Thawanrat Promthongmee in the 36th minute before Nachula equalized a few minutes later before half-time

Eventually, Lubanji gave Zambia the lead on the hour mark but substitute Karnjanathat Phomsri levelled matters for Thailand in the 70th minute, before Saowalak Pengngam scored from the penalty spot three minutes later to seal the victory.

Zambia, who were without four top USA-based players including skipper Barbra Banda due to travel restrictions to China, are now out of the running for the tournament’s title. The Copper Queens will instead fight for a third-place play-off against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, 8 April 2025.