Copper Princesses Make History, Storm Into Knockout Stage After Stunning 4–0 Win Over New Zealand

26.10.2025 | Football DNA

Zambia National U17 Women Coach Carol Kanyemba Daka

The Copper Princesses produced a breathtaking performance to demolish New Zealand 🇳🇿 4–0, sealing their place in the knockout stages of the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco 🇲🇦 — a historic first for Zambia at this level.

Just days after celebrating the nation’s 61st Independence Anniversary, the young Zambian side delivered a performance full of flair, confidence, and determination under the guidance of history-making coach Carol Kanyemba Daka.

Speaking after the match, Coach Kanyemba gave glory to God for the remarkable victory.

“We promised to give Zambians such a result because I know what the girls are capable of,” she said. “They got a bit jittery knowing how important this match was, but we told them to give their all — and it paid off. We thank God; whatever they did, they gave their best, and it has yielded results.”

Zambia’s attacking intent was evident from the first whistle. Victoria Mbali opened the scoring before turning provider for captain Mercy Chipasula, who doubled the lead. Super substitute Masela Sekeseke made it 3–0 with a clinical finish, and Grace Phiri’s late effort was deflected into the net for an own goal, capping off a dominant display.

The result saw the Copper Princesses qualify as one of the four best third-placed teams, alongside Nigeria, Morocco, and the Netherlands, each finishing the group stage with three points. Zambia had earlier suffered narrow defeats — 2–1 to Paraguay and 2–0 to Japan — before their emphatic turnaround against New Zealand on Saturday night.

Their reward for this historic achievement is a Round of 16 clash against Canada 🇨🇦, a side that topped their group with an impressive record — winning all three matches, scoring 12 goals, and conceding just once. Canada beat Nigeria 4–2, Samoa 6–0, and France 2–1 in the group stage.

Coach Kanyemba acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained optimistic about her team’s growth.

“Canada has been doing very well in the group stages. Being a developmental tournament, this will be a great test for our girls — to see how we can contain such a strong team and find ways to penetrate their defence. It’s a good opportunity for them to learn and show what Zambian football can do,” she said.

With confidence soaring and history already made, the Copper Princesses now look to extend their fairytale run in Morocco as they prepare for their toughest test yet — a date with Canada for a place in the quarterfinals.