FAZ Provides Update on Nora Hauptle’s Absence From Malawi 3-Nations Tournament

29.11.2025 | Football DNA ⚽️

The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has announced that Copper Queens Assistant Coach Charles Halubono will temporarily take charge of the national women’s team during the ongoing Three-Nations Tournament in Malawi.

In an update issued on Friday, FAZ General Secretary Machacha Shepande confirmed that Head Coach Nora Hauptle was unable to travel to Lilongwe after falling ill in her home country of Sweden. Hauptle had been scheduled to join the Zambian contingent that departed Lusaka on Thursday but notified FAZ that she was feeling unwell and would not make the trip.

“Coach Nora was supposed to link up with the Copper Queens contingent that had left Lusaka for Lilongwe yesterday, but she informed us that she felt under the weather, making her pull out of the 3-nations tournament,” Shepande stated.

With Hauptle sidelined, Halubono has now been assigned to lead the Copper Queens through the tournament as part of their continued preparations for the upcoming 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

FAZ has wished Coach Nora a speedy recovery and reaffirmed its support for the technical team as Zambia continues building toward the continental showpiece.

Issued by:

Football Association of Zambia

Nkweto Tembwe, Head of Communications and Media