Copper Queens name 28 for WAFCON camp as Chanda returns

LUSAKA — The Copper Queens' WAFCON 2026 build-up is under way, with coach Nora Häuptle naming a 28-player provisional squad on 24 June for a home-based training camp before Morocco.

The camp, reported on 24 June 2026, leans heavily on locally based players and marks the first formal gathering before a tournament that doubles as a qualifying route to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. For one of Zambia's biggest sporting properties, the stakes reach well beyond a single trophy.

The headline name on Häuptle's list is Saudi-based midfielder Hellen Chanda of Eastern Flames FC, who returns after missing recent assignments including the 2024 WAFCON. Striker Eneless Phiri and fit-again forward Ivy Nambeye were also recalled, giving the coach added options in attack as the Copper Queens reassemble. The list is described as provisional, with several foreign-based stars expected to join in the final stage of preparations once their club commitments allow.

A home-based camp by design

The squad is built mainly around home-based players, a deliberate choice that lets Häuptle drill cohesion and fitness while Europe and the Gulf leagues sit in recess. The most prominent overseas names, including captain Barbra Banda and qualifying top scorer Rachael Kundananji, are not part of this 28-player group; the plan is for the foreign contingent to link up later in the build-up before the final tournament squad is confirmed.

That sequencing is now standard for Häuptle, the Swiss coach who took charge of the Copper Queens and steered them through qualifying. The early window with home-based players doubles as an audition: fringe and emerging names get extended minutes in training before the established stars return and the competition for places tightens.

Algeria friendlies before Morocco

Before travelling to Morocco, Zambia will play WAFCON-bound Algeria in back-to-back friendlies next month. The fixtures give Häuptle a competitive read on her group against fellow finalists, rather than a soft warm-up, and a chance to test combinations while the foreign-based players are still absent.

Zambia's senior teams have leaned on this kind of pre-tournament test before. The men's side and the Copper Queens alike have used graded friendlies to bed in a system, a pattern Zambian football has repeated through a busy run of continental and global fixtures, from the men's World Cup qualifying picture to Egypt's breakthrough run that Kwacha News tracked in Egypt's first World Cup win and Cape Verde's rise.

Zambia became the first team to secure a spot at the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2026.

— CAF, <a href="https://www.cafonline.com/caf-womens-africa-cup-of-nations/news/wafcon-2026-zambia-become-first-team-to-qualify/">on Zambia's qualification, 2025</a>

Group C and the World Cup prize

WAFCON 2026 runs in Morocco from 25 July to 16 August. Zambia is drawn in Group C alongside defending champions Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi, with the top two teams advancing from the group. The draw is demanding: Nigeria are the continent's most decorated women's side, and a derby with Malawi carries regional weight.

The longer prize is Brazil. The top four teams at WAFCON 2026 qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, which means a run to at least the semi-finals would put Zambia at a third straight global finals. Rachael Kundananji was Zambia's top scorer in qualifying with four goals, and her finishing is central to the plan once the foreign-based players return. Zambia reached the WAFCON 2026 finals after eliminating Namibia, winning the first leg 4-2 and the second 3-0 for a 7-2 aggregate. Readers following Africa's wider football season can track Kwacha News coverage of the men's tournament in the World Cup 2026 round of 32.

What it means for Zambia

Women's football has become one of Zambia's most reliable sources of national pride, and a strong WAFCON 2026 would land at a charged moment, weeks before the 13 August general election. Success on the pitch tends to lift the mood at home, fill stadiums and sharpen the case for steadier investment in the women's game, from grassroots leagues to player welfare. A World Cup place would also raise the commercial profile of players who still earn most of their living abroad.

For now, the focus is the camp. Häuptle and the Football Association of Zambia have set a clear sequence: drill the home-based core, test it twice against Algeria, then fold in the returning stars before the final squad flies to Morocco. The Copper Queens' continental story sits inside Kwacha News's wider sports and entertainment coverage through a packed 2026 calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who did Nora Häuptle name in the 28-player Copper Queens squad?

In short, the squad is built mainly around home-based players, with Saudi-based midfielder Hellen Chanda recalled alongside striker Eneless Phiri and fit-again forward Ivy Nambeye. The question of who is in the final tournament group is still open: according to the camp call-up reported on 24 June 2026, several foreign-based stars will join in the final stage of preparations before the final WAFCON 2026 squad is named.

Are Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji in the local camp?

The answer is no. The data on this call-up shows the squad is a home-based camp, so the Copper Queens' most prominent foreign-based names are not in this 28-player group. Rachael Kundananji, who is the team's top scorer in qualifying with four goals, is expected to feature once the foreign contingent links up later in the build-up.

When and where is WAFCON 2026 being played?

Simply put, WAFCON 2026 runs in Morocco from 25 July to 16 August. What are the other fixtures around it? The draw shows Zambia in Group C with defending champions Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi, and the top two teams in the group advance to the knockout rounds.

How does WAFCON 2026 affect 2027 Women's World Cup qualification?

The key is the qualifying link: the top four teams at WAFCON 2026 qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. According to CAF, that turns the tournament into a direct pathway, and evidence from qualifying shows Zambia arrived in form after a 7-2 aggregate win over Namibia.

Who will Zambia play before WAFCON 2026?

In other words, the warm-up is competitive: Zambia will face WAFCON-bound Algeria in back-to-back friendlies next month before travelling to Morocco. Analysis of the schedule reveals the fixtures let Häuptle test combinations against a fellow finalist before she trims the group to a final tournament list.

Sources

This report draws on ZamFoot's report on the 28-player WAFCON local camp, 24 June 2026 and CAF's account of Zambia becoming the first team to qualify for WAFCON 2026, 2025.