Bysports
July 12, 2026
Zambia has qualified for the 2026 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup after beating Ethiopia 3-2 on aggregate in the final round of qualifiers.
The return leg played on Sunday in Addis Ababa finished 1-1, as Zambia built on the 2-1 victory from the first leg in Ndola.
Precious Mwewa scored for Zambia while Mihiret Ayene was the scorer for the Ethiopians.
This is the third consecutive qualification for Zambia, who will be making their fourth appearance at the global event to be hosted by Morocco later this year.
Zambia captain Taonga Mubanga said Ethiopia were tough opponents.
“Today’s game was very tough although we managed to score first and they later equalised. Ethiopia really wanted to win today,” Ms. Mubanga said.
She hailed the milestone.
“We are happy to qualify for the World Cup three times in a row. We want to go and do better at the World Cup and reach as far as the semifinals,” she said.
“To our fans, thank you for the support and continue supporting us. We will continue making you happy.”
The Copper Princesses played with black armbands in honour of former Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape, who was buried today in Chingola.