The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has secured an international friendly against China for the Copper Princesses as the young Zambian side steps up preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The match will be played in Rabat on 9 October, just eight days before the global tournament gets underway. The fixture is expected to give Zambia an important opportunity to test its preparations against opposition from outside Africa. FAZ General Secretary Charles Chakatazya said the match has been arranged to expose the players to a different style of football ahead of their demanding Group D campaign. Zambia will face Japan, France and Venezuela at the tournament, making the final preparation period particularly important for Carol Kanyemba’s team.
Chakatazya said the China friendly will form part of the Copper Princesses’ final preparations before the World Cup begins on 17 October. He explained that FAZ wants the team to gain experience against different footballing styles before taking on some of the leading youth teams from other confederations. China’s inclusion in the preparation programme is particularly significant because Zambia will meet Japan in the group stage. The match should therefore give the technical bench an opportunity to assess how the players respond to the tactical and technical demands associated with Asian opposition. Chakatazya described the fixture as a high-profile friendly that will give the players a valuable taste of Asian football before they begin their World Cup campaign.
The Copper Princesses have already started their preparations, with the technical bench entering camp early to give the players enough time to build towards the tournament. Early preparation is expected to allow the coaching staff to work on tactical organisation, physical conditioning and the understanding between players before the team travels into the final phase of its World Cup build-up. The China match will provide another opportunity for the technical bench to evaluate the squad under competitive conditions. It can also help identify areas that require attention before Zambia faces its group opponents. With the World Cup approaching quickly, every training session and international friendly will provide important information for the coaching staff.
FAZ is also working to arrange two more international friendly matches against teams from Europe and South America. The additional fixtures are being considered with Zambia’s other Group D opponents, France and Venezuela, in mind. Facing opposition from different regions would give the Copper Princesses further exposure to contrasting approaches to the game before the World Cup begins. Such matches can help the players become more comfortable adapting to different tactical systems, levels of physicality and match situations. FAZ’s plans show that the association wants the team’s final preparations to extend beyond training sessions and include meaningful international competition.
Zambia enters the tournament with experience from its previous appearances at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. According to Chakatazya, the current team is heading to the global competition for the third consecutive time and will draw on the lessons gained from previous campaigns. The Copper Princesses also reached the Round of 16 at the 2025 edition, giving the squad and technical structures additional experience of competing on the international stage. That experience can be important as Zambia prepares to face strong opposition in Morocco. FAZ believes the combination of tournament experience, early preparations and international friendlies can help the team approach the competition with greater understanding of what is required at the highest level of youth women’s football.
The Group D assignment will present Zambia with three different challenges in Japan, France and Venezuela. The China friendly gives the Copper Princesses an opportunity to prepare specifically for the type of technical and tactical demands they could encounter against Japan. The proposed fixtures against European and South American opposition could provide similar preparation for the matches against France and Venezuela. This variety will allow the coaching staff to assess the players in different situations while giving the squad more experience against international opponents. It will also give the players an opportunity to adapt to the pace and intensity of matches against teams from outside the African football environment.
For the players, the international friendlies will be about more than simply securing positive results before the tournament. The matches can help the technical bench determine which combinations work best and where improvements are still needed. They can also provide younger players with valuable experience of dealing with pressure, tactical changes and opponents who may approach matches differently from teams they regularly face. The coaching staff will have an opportunity to assess individual performances while continuing to build a cohesive squad. With the World Cup only days away after the China fixture, the final matches will be an important part of sharpening the team’s approach before the competitive action begins.
Chakatazya said FAZ will continue providing the support needed by Kanyemba and her technical bench as they prepare the Copper Princesses for their third consecutive World Cup appearance. He stressed that the association wants to give the team the necessary preparation to compete at the highest level. The commitment includes securing quality international opposition and creating opportunities for the players to gain experience before the tournament. The focus now shifts to ensuring that the preparation programme translates into a team that is tactically organised and ready for the demands of the competition. With China confirmed for 9 October and further friendlies being pursued, Zambia’s final World Cup build-up is taking shape.
The friendly against China will give the Copper Princesses one of their final opportunities to measure themselves against international opposition before the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup begins in Morocco. The match in Rabat will come at a crucial stage of the preparations, with only a short period remaining before Zambia begins its Group D campaign. FAZ’s plans for additional matches against European and South American opposition could provide further tests as the technical bench fine-tunes the squad. The team will enter the tournament carrying the experience of previous World Cup appearances and a recent Round of 16 finish, while facing the challenge of competing against Japan, France and Venezuela. With focused preparation and international exposure now at the centre of the build-up, the Copper Princesses will be looking to make their third consecutive appearance count when the global tournament begins.