As the countdown begins for the pivotal showdown between Zambia and Ghana in the Olympic Games qualifier, Coach Nora Häuptle has lauded her team’s performance in the first leg, expressing optimism for the upcoming match.
Ghana, facing a must-win situation on Wednesday to progress to the fourth and final round of the Women’s Olympic Games qualifiers, aims to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Accra.
In preparation for the clash, Nora stressed the significance of maintaining a solid performance against the Zambian side, emphasizing the need for stability on the field.
Reflecting on their previous encounter, Häuptle acknowledged the team’s positive display despite the defeat, citing statistics in their favor and expressing confidence in their abilities.
“We lost the game 1:0 in Accra but we had good performance on the pitch. When you look at the statistics, they were all on our side and we deserved that. I think that’s how football goes sometimes. We left Accra Friday night to Zambia and arrived here early” Nora Häuptle said.
With warm reception in Zambia and promising training sessions, the team anticipates a packed stadium for the match, embracing the enthusiasm of the local supporters.
“We have had a very warm reception, this is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly. We had some beautiful training sessions as well. Tonight we go into the stadium and I heard that tomorrow it’s going to be a packed stadium so we like it”.
Looking ahead, the coach outlined their plans to stabilize the game and capitalize on scoring opportunities, underscoring their determination to secure victory and advance in the qualifiers.
“I hope it would be a good football game tomorrow evening for us. We also have some plans for tomorrow and it’s our approach to stabilizing the game, we need to score and we are aware of that and we will see tomorrow on the pitch what our plans are” she added.
The highly anticipated match is scheduled for Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at the Levy Mwanawasa Sports Stadium in Ndola.
