Copper Queens Depart Morocco After Narrow WAFCON 2026 Exit

RABAT, Morocco — The Zambia Senior Women’s National Team, the Copper Queens, have left Morocco and are heading home to Lusaka following their elimination from the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026.

The contingent departed from Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca and is expected to arrive in the Zambian capital on Sunday.

Most of the foreign-based players are returning directly to their respective clubs. Captain Barbra Banda is the exception; she will travel via Lusaka for personal reasons before heading back to the United States.

Heartbreaking Group Stage Exit

Zambia’s campaign ended on Wednesday after they finished third in a tightly contested Group C. The Copper Queens opened with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt, then suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nigeria before closing the group stage with a 2-1 win over Malawi.

All three teams — Zambia, Nigeria and Malawi — finished level on six points. Under CAF’s head-to-head tiebreaker rules, Malawi advanced as group winners and Nigeria took second place, while Zambia were eliminated despite recording the best overall goal difference in the section.

Looking Ahead

The Football Association of Zambia has already urged the squad to keep their heads high and shift focus to the forthcoming Olympic qualifiers, which begin in October.

Although the early exit was painful, particularly given the side’s strong performances and goal tally, the Copper Queens return home knowing they competed well against quality opposition in what proved to be one of the most competitive groups of the tournament.