Zambia: Zambia will this evening face the Republic of Ireland in a pre-FIFA Women’s World Cup friendly at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.
The Copper Queens and the Girls in Green will be using the match to prepare for their debut appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the sold-out game will be played under the Tallaght lights at 20h30CAT.
Ahead of Thursday’s match, the Copper Queens have been stationed in Furth, Germany, where they have held an intensive international training camp to prepare for Ireland and games against Switzerland and Germany on their itinerary.
It will be an all-Belgium line-up of match officials, with Caroline Lanssens expected to take charge of proceedings, assisted by Irmgard van Meirvenne and Melissa Leiear. Jana van Laere will be the fourth official.
Despite being a friendly match and Ireland’s FIFA ranking of 22nd and Copper Queens’ 77th, coach Bruce Mwape has hinted that he will go out and dig the maximum result that the team needs for motivation ahead of the World Cup opener in a month’s time.
Hazel Nali will most certainly get the number one spot, with Margaret Belemu, Lushomo Mweemba, Judith Soko, Jackline Nkole, or Margaret Mulenga expected to be deployed in front of her. Agness Musesa, Pauline Zulu Esther Banda and Vast Phiri are some of the players available for selection.
In midfield, either Rhoda Chileshe or Susan Banda will start alongside Evarine Susan Katongo to give the likes of Xiomara Mapepa, Avell Chitundu or Ochumba Oseke Lubanji room to attack.
The front three looks like it will be unchanged; skipper Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda and Rachael Kundananji to start just like they did during a send-off match against Tanzania on 11 June. Exciting midfielders Comfort Selemani, Maylan Mulenga, Hellen Mubanga and Regina Chanda are some of Mwape’s squad members eager to make their mark.
Ireland coach Vera Pauw has named a strong squad of 29 players, including Arsenal midfielder Katie McCabe, Aston Villa’s Ruesha Littlejohn and the Liverpool trio of Niamh Fahey, Megan Campbell and Leanne Kiernan, who will be expected to start against the Copper Queens.
At the biggest women’s football tournament, the Republic of Ireland will tackle co-hosts Australia, Nigeria and Canada in Group B, while Zambia is in Group C alongside Japan, Costa Rica and Spain at the ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup that kicks-off on 20 July.