Mwape relishing Netherlands friendly | FARPost

Zambia women’s national team coach Bruce Mwape is looking forward to The Netherlands friendly to see how far his team has come since their last meeting.

The Netherlands will host Zambia in a friendly on October 6 in Breda.

Next Thursday’s friendly is part of the two sides’ early build-up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20.

Zambia is current in camp in Lusaka preparing for the Dutch trip.

MWAPE SPEAKS…

“It is actually a big game, and this is the game we are very interested in,” Mwape said.

“They have a lot of experience and have been to the World Cup, so when you meet teams like the Netherlands, you learn one or two things from them.

The Netherlands were the 2019 Women’s World Cup runners-up and will meet Zambia for the second time.

Zambia lost 10-3 to The Netherlands in July 2021 in their opening Group F match at the Tokyo Olympics.

“We have already played them at the Olympics; we know their strengths and now also know their weakness,” Mwape added.

“I know it won’t be an easy game, but this is a good opportunity to gauge our players.”

Meanwhile, the friendly will come a fortnight before the FIFA Women’s World Cup draws are made in Auckland, New Zealand, on October 22.

“We are very interested in the draws so that we make a proper programme for our friendly games ahead of the World Cup,” Mwape declared.

Zambia will be making their debut at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Mwape’s team qualified for the FIFA World Cup as one of the four semifinalists at last July’s 2022 Women’s AFCON in Morocco.

Morocco, Nigeria and WAFCON champions South Africa are the continents’ other representatives at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.