The Zambia Under-17 Women’s National Team will be looking for recovery when they face Venezuela in their second Group D match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Wednesday.
The match will kick off at 20h00 CAT at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.
Zambia goes into the clash after suffering a 5-0 opening day defeat to Japan, while Venezuela fell 2-0 to France in the other Group D encounter.
Both teams are facing high stakes, with another defeat leaving their last-16 hopes hanging by a thread.
Despite the heavy loss, Zambia coach Carol Kanyemba says her girls remain upbeat.
“We have been encouraging the girls that losing one game is not the end of the tournament. That was a setback, but it should be a turning point. As we prepare for the match against Venezuela, we are telling our girls to have the right attitude toward the game,” Kanyemba said.
“The game against Venezuela is an opportunity for us to progress from this group stage. It will be a physical game against Venezuela. Venezuela plays like us Africans. We are telling the girls that we can get maximum points from this game,” she added.
Zambia made it to the Round of 16 at last year’s tournament after a first-round elimination in 2024, and Kanyemba, who has led the team to three successive World Cups in 2024, 2025 and 2026, is aiming to continue the progressive route.
Team captain Taonga Mubanga says Wednesday’s game will determine Zambia’s destiny.
“We are very much ready and prepared for the match against Venezuela. It won’t be an easy game, but we have worked on the mistake played in the previous game,” Mubanga said.
“The game against Venezuela is a must win for us and we will win. This game will show us if we qualify to the round of 16,” she said.
Debutant Dorcas Mulosha echoed the captain’s sentiments.
“Preparations for the match against Venezuela are going on well and we are very ready. This match is very important to us; this match will motivate us. We lost and Venezuela lost so this match will be tough,” Mulosha said.
France and Japan are the other teams in Group D. The top two teams in each group will qualify to the round of 16, while three best third-placed teams will also make the cut.
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