Zambia’s head coach, Bruce Mwape, has issued a stern warning to his players, urging them not to underestimate the challenge despite their 1-0 triumph over Ghana in the first leg of the Paris 2024 Olympics third-round qualifier.
With their sights set on progressing to the fourth and final round of the qualifiers, the Copper Queens must avoid defeat in the upcoming clash at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Wednesday evening. Mwape emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and composure heading into the crucial encounter.
“We just need to be cautious because the game is not yet over until it is over. We still have 90 minutes, we played 90 minutes away in Ghana. So this other 90 minutes, we cannot say since we are leading we should relax. We will play according to our plan,” Mwape told the press Tuesday morning.
Despite securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Ghana last Friday, with forward Racheal Kundananji netting the decisive goal, Mwape stressed the need for his team to remain grounded and fully prepared for the return leg.
“After the first game in Ghana, we had two days in which to prepare for the second leg. That two days the team has prepared well and is ready to meet Ghana in the second leg.”
The highly anticipated second leg between Zambia and Ghana is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 16:00 local time at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to face either Morocco or Tunisia in the fourth and final round of the Olympic qualifiers.