Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle has vowed that her side will adopt an attacking approach when they face defending champions Nigeria in a crucial 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) clash, insisting the Copper Queens have no intention of settling for a draw. The highly anticipated Group Stage encounter will take place in Rabat on Saturday, with both teams seeking a positive result that could strengthen their chances of securing a place in the quarter-finals of the continental tournament. The Copper Queens head into the fixture full of confidence after an emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt's Cleopatras in their opening match, a performance that showcased their attacking quality and defensive discipline. However, Zambia face a far sterner challenge against the Super Falcons, who remain Africa's most successful women's national team and the defending WAFCON champions. The fixture also offers Zambia an opportunity to avenge the painful 5-0 defeat they suffered to Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the previous edition of the tournament. Häuptle believes her players have learned valuable lessons from that encounter and are now better equipped to compete against the nine-time African champions. Speaking ahead of the match, the Swiss tactician maintained that her team would remain true to its attacking philosophy regardless of Nigeria's pedigree. "We never play for a draw, it's not in our nature, we always chase for the lead in games. In the last edition we lost against Nigeria in the quarterfinals, we learnt a lot in the game in our game against Egypt we were flexible so we can surprise Nigeria." Häuptle added that her side has worked on tactical flexibility since the previous meeting with Nigeria and is confident the adjustments made could help the Copper Queens produce a stronger performance this time around. With both teams boasting talented squads and ambitions of progressing deep into the competition, the encounter is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the group stage as Zambia seek to upset the defending champions and Nigeria aim to continue their quest for another continental title.
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