The 2-1 defeat to Uganda in Kampala is not just a loss, it is a warning for the Zambia Women’s National Football Team. For a team that has flown Zambia’s flag at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, to surrender a lead so early and so cheaply against Uganda raises serious…

The 2-1 defeat to Uganda in Kampala is not just a loss, it is a warning for the Zambia Women’s National Football Team.

For a team that has flown Zambia’s flag at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, to surrender a lead so early and so cheaply against Uganda raises serious questions about preparation, mentality and desire.

Interim Coach Charles Haalubono was honest: “We didn’t have that hunger to keep the ball.” That admission is telling.

The Copper Queens have never lacked talent. With Barbra Banda, Prisca Chilufya and Rachael Kundananji, we have one of the most feared attacks on the continent. What we lacked on Thursday was fight.

Uganda fought for every ball. Zambia, by the coach’s own admission, did not. That is unacceptable at this level.

Coming off a disappointing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), this Olympic qualification was supposed to be redemption. Instead, we have started with a setback that now puts immense pressure on the return leg at home.

But all is not lost. The second half performance, the woodwork hit by Eneless Phiri, shows this team can respond. The talent is still there. What is needed now is selection based on zeal, not reputation, as Haalubono himself has promised.

FAZ and the technical bench must be ruthless. Zambia need players who want to play for the badge.

Zambia need better ball retention, better game management, and more respect for opponents who are no longer minnows.

The Copper Queens have made us proud before. They can do it again. But they must remember that qualification for Los Angeles 2028 does not come easily — it must be fought for.

The return leg is now a final.

The return leg will be played next Tuesday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, starting at 18h00.

Zambia, which competed at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is seeking a third successive appearance at the Olympics.