Copper Queens at the world cup

As soon as I learned that the Copper Queens had qualified for the world cup, I felt so proud. I mean the joy I felt was as though we had already won the tournament. And as the day drew closer, I waited in anticipation and I could see other people waiting for it in anticipation as well. 

On the day of our first appearance, I thought about the game all day. Talking about it to everyone I interacted with. “It's a big day for Zambia” I kept saying.

While we waited in anticipation, the weeks coming to the world cup, our goalkeeper Hazel Nali got injured and was removed from the world cup squad. It was a big loss for our team and yet I can't imagine, how she came to terms with this difficult reality. 

Then our midfielder  Grace Chanda was hospitalized and also ruled out of the tournament. With sadness, we received this news, but understanding that health comes first, we could only hope and pray that she gets better. 

I was excited to see the Copper Queens play, but I was also nervous. That's the thing about football, it has the ability to make you excited and afraid. 

Playing against Japan was so thrilling. I lived in Japan for 2 years so hearing names that I have heard before made me so nostalgic. But right now it was Zambia against Japan so all nostalgia aside, I was here to see the copper queens play the game that they love, that game that I love.

Then the game started, me sitting on my bed, it's 2am in Oklahoma, finally finding the link to watch the game on. 

Everything felt so special, the way the team walked into Waikato Stadium felt special, and when the team sang the Zambia national anthem, I was almost in tears. I felt this sense of national pride, something within me kicked, I presume it is the Zambian spirit itself. Connecting me to my motherland, to my roots, to the land of the proud and free. It was a joy to sing along to this song that tells of our resilience, to this melody of hope and freedom. 

20 minutes into the game, I could see that the ball was heavily on our side and our goalkeeper was feeling the pressure. Japan outperformed us, to say the least. I am not sure if it was their experience, the preparation, or the formation, I am not sure what it is but they gave us a run for the ball. We were simply chasing the ball. There was no opportunity for Barbara Banda to even try to strike past the Japanese goalkeeper. We were struggling. But I could see the determination in the copper Queens, not backing out, they kept running, they kept trying, they kept the faith, believing that nothing is impossible, ready to leave everything they had on that green grass in New Zealand. I could hear the Zambians in the stadium too, cheering the copper queens, their spirits not relinquishing. They supported it to the end.

In the last minutes, our gaol keeper was suspended (given a red card) and Japan was given a penalty which our new goalkeeper saved but the flag went up (our goalkeeper was off the line) and the second time Japan tried, they scored. To our disappointment and to the frustrated reality that the copper Queens had to contend with, we lost to Japan 5:0. It was really tough to watch this game. Painful even.

It felt unbelievable. I couldn't believe my eyes. I looked at the players and felt their frustration. I cannot imagine how they felt. I am sure the sadness I felt amounts to nothing compared to theirs. Going to bed that day, I felt extremely sad, and I woke up even more sad. I felt beat. Defeated, as though I was the one playing the game.

I then waited for the second game on Wednesday that week. We were up against Spain which was said to be a very good team. I looked up the odds online and they were not in our favor. I was scared but I still hoped for the copper queens to emerge victorious. And soon enough the day came, up at 2:30 am, I was ready to watch the game. The formation looked different this time around. We played better than we did in the previous game. The queens looked more confident on the ball, they seemed to apply more pressure. We played better but the results matched the previous match. We lost again. 5:0. And with that we were eliminated from football's biggest stage. It was devastating. The queens looked disappointed, I could see their light dim at that moment. Their hope of winning swept and taken by the winds of defeat. I had hoped to see the Queens play more games at this tournament and with playing,  opportunities for them to be scouted by some big clubs which I hope have seen the talent even in the 3 games we've played. I really hoped to see Zambia go far in the tournament. And I dare say, I wanted Zambia to win. 

I don't know how the players do it but they went and picked up the boots and started preparing for the game against Costa Rica. And prepare they did. They showed up to the match with the same zeal, the same courage, a spirit still alive, unbeaten, an undefeated Unity. They showed us that indeed they are victors even in the struggle. And they gave us their very heart in the last game. Creating history on top of history as Lushomo Mweemba scored the first goal in Zambian history and the fastest goal of the tournament in just 2 minutes and 11 seconds from Avell Chitundu's corner kick. What a phenomenal goal. What a way to begin our last game. Then as our captain BB11 was trying to score what could have been our second goal, she was pushed to the ground and a penalty was given to us. BB11 took the penalty kick and there it was, our second goal at the world cup. The 1000th goal in Women's World Cup history and BB 11's first world cup goal. What a joy to see this. What a pride. It was amazing to see the copper Queens smile again and to see their light shine brightly. They went to their knees and gave thanks to the Lord Almighty. The giver of all things. The restorer of our hope. 

Then Costa Rica scored their first goal, please please, let them not score again. At this point, all eyes are on the defense. We've got to win this game. So when Costa Rica scored their second goal which would have been their equalizer, it was not a beautiful sight, and quickly before the goal was sealed, the flag was raised. The player was offside. We were still leading 2 to 1. Then in the extra 9 minutes, we scored our 3rd goal. And with that, we won our first world cup game and bowed out of the tournament on a victory note. 

I hope the team builds on this exposure and experience and come back stronger, better, and ready to bring that cup home. We did not win this time but we will one day. We keep the faith. 

Thank you Coach Bruce Mwape and all the other coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and everyone involved in the management. 

Thank you copper Queens for playing the game you love and for giving it all you had. Thank you for raising the Zambian flag high. Thank you for inspiring all of us to dream big and to reach out for our dreams. You made us all proud.