UNDER-17 Women’s National Team coach Carol Kanyemba has declared her side ready for World Cup taking place in Morocco.

Kanyemba says the Copper Princesses are physically, mentally, and tactically prepared for their opening Group F clash against Paraguay today.

Speaking ahead of the much-anticipated tie, Kanyemba expressed confidence in her team’s readiness and attitude, noting that the girls have shown great determination in training.

“So far so good. The girls have been putting in extra effort and they are looking forward to this game just like us the coaches,” Kanyemba said.

“This is a test of everything that we have the technical abilities, the tactical understanding of the game, and we want to see if the girls are able to implement what we have been coaching.”

The coach emphasised that Zambia’s main target in their first match is to collect maximum points.

“As we prepare for the first game, our main focus is getting maximum points. We shall use everything that we have, we shall put in everything we have so that we get maximum points,” she said.

“I know it’s not an easy game, but we have psyched our players to believe in themselves. We are at this stage because we are as good as our opponents, and we have told the girls that if they can do it, we can also do better.”

Kanyemba added that the message to her team had been centered on confidence and belief.

“We’ve told the girls, ‘You have what it takes to go all the way because we are all girls, we all have two hands, two legs, and one heart.’ So we will go in 50/50, and the best team will definitely win and we believe that we shall be the best team of the day,” she said.

She acknowledged that the World Cup presented a higher level of competition, but said her side was ready to prove themselves against the best.

“Football is different in every region, and I believe our team came out the best in our region considering the number of goals we scored in the qualifiers,” Kanyemba said.

“This tournament brings together the best of the best, and if you want to be the best, you need to beat the best. Paraguay being the best in their region means that for us to make a name, we must stand against them and perform highly.”

Kanyemba also noted that the World Cup was an opportunity to measure the team’s progress after a year of development.

“This being a developmental stage, we were here last year, and now we want to see the progress we have made and how much the girls can respond to high-profile opponents,” she noted.

“Regardless of the results, we want to see the progression of the team and the development of the girls themselves.”

The coach highlighted that the team’s physical fitness and psychological preparation have been key pillars of their training.

“Physical fitness is what we have been working on. We knew about this tournament way back and as coaches we have done everything to prepare,” she said.

“We have psyched the girls psychologically to know that they can fight anyone, they can conquer anyone as long as they believe in themselves.”

Kanyemba, who was recently nominated for CAF Coach of the Year (Women’s Category), described the recognition as a huge motivation for both her and the players.

“It is indeed a great motivation to realise that our efforts at U-17 level can be recognized even at African level,” she said.

“That speaks volumes, and step by step we are getting on the ladder. I’m happy to see two of our girls nominated among the Young Players of the Year under CAF. That is a motivation to the whole team.”

She added that the recognition should inspire her players to perform even better at the global stage.

“If we have made it this far to be nominated and get recognition, then performing better here will put us on a bigger map,” said Kanyemba.

“We have the talent, the zeal, and the morale and this should be a driving force for us to perform better than we did in the qualifiers and in the region.”

Kanyemba will rely on the experience and leadership of captain Mercy Chipasula to guide the Copper Princesses through a tough Group F that also features Japan and New Zealand.

After facing Paraguay today, Zambia will battle Japan on October 22, before wrapping up their group stage campaign against New Zealand on October 25.