Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle said her team will not leave anything to chance in their last group game of the 2026 WAFCON against Malawi. They want to move to the quarter-finals from the tough Group C, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Zambia started strong in the group with a 6-0 win over Egypt. But they lost to Nigeria in their second match. Now, the group is open for any of the top three teams to qualify after match-day three.
Asisat Oshoala scored an early goal for Nigeria against Zambia. This came after Zambia lost 3-2 to Malawi in their first game. Now, both teams have three points and are heading into their final group matches.
Nigeria will play Egypt, while Zambia faces Malawi on Wednesday. This match is critical for the two quarter-final spots.
Häuptle stated that Zambia will do everything to beat Malawi. If they win and Nigeria also beats Egypt, all three teams could finish with six points.
But if Zambia loses to the newcomers, they might be out if Nigeria either draws or beats Egypt.
“It was in our hands and we did not take the chances. It was all there that we could beat Nigeria. Now it’s to focus on the next game, stand up again. We will go out fully against Malawi,” Häuptle said after the loss to Nigeria.
She also talked about her team’s missed chances and blamed a positional mistake in goal for Oshoala’s winning goal.
“We just allowed Nigeria two breakthroughs in the first half. Dangerous breakthroughs and they scored. It was also a little positional error on the keeper. Usually when we are in a bit higher position, this can happen. We have a fantastic keeper but in this situation, she didn’t look good.”
If the three teams end up with six points, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will follow its rules to decide which two teams move to the quarter-finals.
Goal difference and other tie-breaking rules could be key if the teams finish with the same points. CAF regulations will determine the final standings.
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