World Cup 2023 teams: Profiles, rosters for all 32 countries competing
The U.S. women are seeking a record third consecutive title, and fifth overall, when the 2023 World Cup begins July 20. No team, men’s or women’s, has won three in a row. The Americans go into the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world, a spot they’ve held for more than six years, and have lost just five games since they hoisted the trophy in France four years ago. That doesn’t mean they’re assured another title, however. The international game has grown tremendously, reflected in the World Cup’s expanded field of 32 teams, and the competition has never been tougher. Get to know all the 2023 World Cup teams.
Argentina
- World Cup: Fourth World Cup appearance, although La Albiceleste have never made it past the group stage or won a match at the tournament.
- Coach: Now led by head coach German Portanova, who took over in July 2021.
- Key player(s): Star forward Estefanía Banini will play again after a three-year absence, partially brought on by her criticism of the federation.
- Buzz: Coming off a third-place finish in Copa América after losing to host Colombia in semifinals, then beating Paraguay in the consolation game. … The national team program is on a comeback mission after being disbanded in 2015 and losing federation funding for two years.
Australia
- World Cup: One of two hosts (alongside New Zealand) of the 2023 Women’s World Cup who will play on home turf. … Made it to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2019, the furthest the team has ever gone.
- Coach: Tony Gustavsson, a former player from Sweden, was an assistant to U.S. coach Jill Ellis for the USWNT’s 2015 and 2019 World Cup titles.
- Key player(s): Led by captain Sam Kerr, who is Australia’s all-time leading goal scorer, male or female. Kerr also stars for Chelsea. Ellie Carpenter, 22, should also figure prominently after recovering from an ACL tear suffered during last year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
- Buzz: Ended England’s 30-match unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win in London during an April friendly. Disney+ recently released a six-part documentary series called Matildas: The World At Their Feet about the team in their lead-up to co-hosting the World Cup.
Brazil
- World Cup: Played in every women’s World Cup to date and has never won a major title. Made it to one World Cup final (2007) and lost to Germany; Won Olympic silver twice (2004, 2008).
- Coach: Managed since 2019 by legendary coach Pia Sundhage, who previously led the USWNT to two Olympic gold medals before leaving to coach her native Sweden.
- Key player(s): Roster is led by Marta, 37, arguably the best women’s soccer player in history. She’s returning from an ACL injury, but is expected to join Brazil for her sixth World Cup appearance. … Kerolin is also set to make her World Cup debut after missing the 2019 tournament while serving a doping suspension.
- Buzz: Coming off a strong showing in Europe this spring, beating Germany 2-1 in a friendly and drawing with England in the UEFA Women’s Finalissima before falling in PKs.
Canada
- World Cup: Never finished in top three of a women’s World Cup, but has done so in each of the last three Olympics. Coming off first-ever major title, having won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
- Coach: Managed by Bev Priestman, who was previously an assistant with Canada under John Herdman and England under Phil Neville.
- Key player(s): This will likely be captain Christine Sinclair’s final World Cup appearance. The 40-year-old has 190 career goals in 322 games, making her the top goal-scorer, male or female, at the international level.
- Buzz: In a dispute with federation over “significant cuts” to the program. Players planned to strike during the SheBelieves Cup in February before the federation threatened to sue them for an illegal work stoppage. Players have since said they will play the World Cup “under protest.”
China PR
- World Cup: China’s World Cup history includes two final-four finishes. … Lost to U.S. in 1995 third-place playoff, then again in iconic 1999 Cup final, which went to extra time and PKs.
- Coach: In 2020, China hired head coach Shui Qingxia, who won Asian Cup trophies five times during her playing career and was named Chinese Football Coach of the Year in April.
- Key player(s): The Steel Roses are led by captain and forward Wang Shanshan, who scored five goals and was named MVP in the Asian Cup. Shanshan was last year’s Chinese Women’s Player of the Year.
- Buzz: Won last year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup with a 3-2 comeback win over South Korea. It was the country’s first major championship since 2006.
Colombia
- World Cup: This is the third World Cup for Columbia. The team also competed in Germany in 2011 and Canada in 2015.
- Coach: Coached by Nelson Abadía, who has been with the team in some form since 2014, starting as a technical assistant.
- Key player(s): 18-year-old Linda Caicedo won the Golden Ball award during 2022 Copa America Femenina tournament and will make her World Cup debut after a meteoric rise last year. She also took home the Bronze Boot at the under-17 World Cup in India, where Colombia was runner-up. … Colombia’s senior World Cup team will also be led by captain Daniela Montoya, who scored Colombia’s first-ever women’s World Cup goal in 2015 before Las Cafeteras failed to qualify for the 2019 tournament.
- Buzz: Won a gold medal at the 2021 Pan American Games after taking down Argentina in a penalty shootout. … Lost to Brazil in 2022 Copa America Femenina final.
Costa Rica
- World Cup: Costa Rica will be playing in only its second women’s World Cup. … Made tournament debut in 2015, when Las Ticas drew with both South Korea and Spain in the group stage, but failed to advance to the knockout round.
- Coach: Amelia Valverde is at the helm. She took the head coaching job in 2015 when she was only 28 years old
- Key player(s): Attacking midfielder Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno will come into this summer’s World Cup as the all-time leading scorer for Costa Rica with 50 goals. She also plays for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL.
- Buzz: Qualified for this year’s World Cup by finishing fourth at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, losing to the U.S. in the semifinals. … In qualifying for that tournament, Costa Rica outscored four opponents 22-0.
Denmark
- World Cup: This year marks the end of a 16-year World Cup drought for the Danes, who played in four of the first five women’s World Cups.They haven’t been back to the knockout round since 1995.
- Coach: Coached by Lars Søndergaard, who has been with the Denmark national team since 2017.
- Key player(s): Captain Pernille Harder, 30, scored Denmark’s only Euro goal. She will make her World Cup debut this summer and will look to add to her international goal tally as Denmark’s all-time goal scorer with 70 goals. … Forward Nicoline Sørensen should also make her major international tournament debut after missing the 2022 Euro because of an ACL injury.
- Buzz: Coming off a disappointing Euro 2022 showing, where they lost in the group stage.
England
- World Cup: One of the favorites to win the 2023 World Cup title, despite several major injuries to their roster. … England’s best finish in the World Cup tournament was third place in 2015.
- Coach: Coached by Sarina Wiegman, who previously led the Netherlands to the 2019 World Cup final against the U.S.
- Key player(s): The Lionesses will play without defender and captain Leah Williamson, who had surgery for an ACL injury in April. … Euros Golden Boot winner Beth Mead, midfielder Fran Kirby, and forward Chloe Kelly, who scored the Euros game-winner, have had injuries but are on the roster.
- Buzz: Won the European Championship – England’s first major international title – in July 2022 with a 2-1 win in extra time over Germany. Had a 30-match unbeaten streak (26 wins, 4 draws) before losing to Australia in April.
France
- World Cup: In the last Women’s World Cup, France lost in the quarterfinals on their home turf. Les Bleues’ best finish in the tournament was fourth in 2011.
- Coach: Hervé Renard was named coach after three star players (captain Wendie Renard, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani) said in February they would sit out the 2023 World Cup in protest of the national team’s leadership and support.
- Key player(s): Wendie Renard (no relation to Hervé), who is considered one of the best defenders in the world, returned to the squad for two April friendlies, and both she and Diani are on France’s World Cup roster. Katoto will miss the tournament with a knee injury.
- Buzz: Off-field issues plagued France this year. The French federation fired then-head coach Corrine Diacre in March and replaced her with Hervé Renard, who previously managed the Saudi Arabian men’s national team
Germany
- World Cup: The only other women’s national team – besides the U.S. – to ever win two World Cups in a row. Took home the trophy in 2003 and 2007 with wins against Sweden and Brazil, respectively. Has qualified for every Women’s World Cup.
- Coach: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, a former player, has coached the team since 2018. She played in three World Cups for Germany in the 1990s.
- Key player(s): Captain Alexandra Popp is coming off a strong Euro performance, where she scored each of Germany’s two goals in its semifinal win against France. … Roster also highlighted by 21-year-old rising star Lena Oberdorf, a versatile midfielder who recently won FIFPRO Women’s World 11 honors. … She also played in the 2019 World Cup when she was only 17.
- Buzz: Runner-ups of the 2022 Euro championship, losing to England in the final. … Rattled off 47 goals in 10 matches during qualification, only losing once (3-2 to Serbia).
Haiti
- World Cup: Will make World Cup debut this summer after beating Senegal (4-0) and Chile (2-1) in the playoff tournament for qualification. … Haiti earned its spot in that tournament with a surprise 3-0 win over Mexico and third-place finish in the 2022 Concacaf W Championship
- Coach: Nicolas Delepine, of France, took the job in January 2022.
- Key player(s): Melchie Dumornay,19, scored both goals in the qualifying win against Chile and will play a big role. She previously competed at the under-20 World Cup as a 15-year-old.
- Buzz: Haiti had a surprise 3-0 win over Mexico in the 2022 Concaf W Champioship. … In final match before the World Cup, Haiti got its first-ever win over a European team, beating Moldova 3-1 in Turkey in April. … One of the youngest teams in this year’s tournament; Haiti’s roster for the Concacaf W championship included 11 teenagers and one player older than 25.
Ireland
- World Cup: This World Cup is the country’s first major international tournament, having never before qualified for a World Cup, Olympics or UEFA Women’s Championship.
- Coach: Managed by Vera Pauw, a defensive-minded coach who has been at the helm since 2019.
- Key player(s): Veteran defenders Áine O’Gorman and Louise Guinn will lead the Girls in Green with more than 215 combined caps. … Will bring 18-year-old Abbie Larkin, who was one of the second-youngest player ever called up by Ireland when she was 16.
- Buzz: Earned World Cup spot with a one-match playoff win against Scotland (in Glasgow), behind a late goal from Amber Barrett in the 72nd minute. … Won last seven group-stage matches during qualifying after an initial 1-0 loss to Sweden because of an own goal.
Italy
- World Cup: Fourth World Cup appearance, returning after a surprising quarterfinal run during the 2019 tournament in France, when the team beat China 2-0 before losing to eventual runner-up Netherlands.
- Coach: Milena Bertolini, a former player for Italy, became coach in 2017. She led the team back to the World Cup in 2019 after a 20-year absence.
- Key player(s): Attacking power Cristiana Girelli, who scored her 100th goal for Juventus in February at the club level, scored a hat trick against Jamaica in 2019 and will look to add to her World Cup résumé. She made her 100th appearance for the natioanl team in February. … Keep an eye out for Arianna Caruso, who scored half her team’s eight goals during a shutout win over Moldova in World Cup qualifying.
- Buzz: Coming off a disappointing Euro 2022 showing that included a 5-1 loss to France and group stage exit. … During qualification for the 2022 Euro tournament, Italy brought offensive firepower, beating Israel 12-0.
Jamaica
- World Cup: The Reggae Girlz will compete in their second straight World Cup. … In 2019, they were the first Caribbean team to ever qualify for the tournament.
- Coach: Lorne Donaldson stepped into the manager position in July 2022.
- Key player(s): Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, 26, stars for Jamaica and has been one of the top scorers in the Women’s Super League this season for Manchester City. She is Jamaica’s all-time leading goal scorer and has been outspoken about giving girls more opportunities to play in her home country. … Jody Brown, 21, will play in her second World Cup. Her 2018 hat trick against Cuba helped earn the Reggae Girlz their first World Cup qualification.
- Buzz: The program rebounded after it was disbanded in 2004 and only regained funding in 2014. … Jamaica finished third in last summer’s Concacaf W Championship, beating Costa Rica 1-0 in the third-place playoff match.
Japan
- World Cup: Won the World Cup in 2011, taking down the United States on PKs, then lost to the USWNT in a rematch in the 2015 final. … Hasn’t made the final of a major international tournament since. … In the 2019, fell to the Netherlands in the World Cup Round of 16.
- Coach: Coached by Futoshi Ikeda, who previously led Japan’s under-17 and under-20 women’s teams.
- Key player(s): Captained by midfielder/defender Saki Kimagai, who was named to the IFFHS World Women’s Team of the Decade. Kimagai also scored the winning PK in the 2011 final. … Maika Hamano, 19, is a young player to watch. She won the Golden Ball award at the under-20 World Cup and signed with Chelsea.
- Buzz: Won two of the last three AFC Women’s Asian Cups. … This will be the first women’s World Cup since Japan launched its domestic Women Empowerment League, the country’s first fully pro women’s soccer league, in 2021.
Morocco
- World Cup: Will make its first appearance on the women’s World Cup stage. … Also the first Arab nation to qualify for the tournament.
- Coach: Coached by Reynald Pedros, a former French men’s national team player, who took over in 2020. He previously coached at French club powerhouse Lyon, where he won 2018 Best FIFA Women’s Coach.
- Key player(s): The Atlas Lionesses are captained by Ghizlane Chebbak, who was Player of the Tournament during WAFCON, and is the country’s leading goal scorer. Her father, Larbi, played for the men’s national team in the 1970s. … Rosella Ayane should also make an impact coming off a strong WAFCON appearance that included scoring the winning PK in the semifinals.
- Buzz: Qualified for the World Cup through a runner-up performance in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last year. During that run, Morocco beat Botswana and Nigeria before losing to South Africa in the final, 2-1, played in front of more than 50,000 fans.
Netherlands
- World Cup: Will look for revenge against the U.S. after losing in the 2019 World Cup final in Lyon, France. The two foes will face off in the group stage.
- Coach: Led by head coach Andries Jonker, who just took the position last summer. He previously coached Wolfsburg, a Bundesliga team.
- Key player(s): The Netherlands’ offense took a hit with the loss of Vivianne Miedema, the country’s all-time leading scorer (male or female), to an ACL tear. … But, Netherlands has Jill Roord, 26, who has scored 21 goals across 86 appearances for the national team; Fenna Kalma, 23, a proflific scorer for VfL Wolfsburg; and teenager Wieke Kaptein, 17, who will make her World Cup debut
- Buzz: The U.S. and Netherlands also played each other in the 2020 Olympic quarterfinals, which ended in a draw before the Americans advanced on PKs.
New Zealand
- World Cup: The 2023 tournament’s other “home team,” hosting alongside Australia. … The Football Ferns have never made it to the World Cup’s knockout stage, or won a game during the group stage at five previous appearances.
- Coach: Coached by Jitka Klimkova, the first woman to hold the position in New Zealand. Klimkova played for the Czech Republic national team, previously coached the U.S. under-20 and under-19 teams, and won Coach of the Year as a W-League coach in Australia.
- Key player(s): Veteran and Angel City FC defender Ali Riley will lead New Zealand. She enters the 2023 tournament with four other World Cup appearances and four Olympics under her belt.
- Buzz: Had a 10-match winless run from August 2022 to April 2023, during which they only scored two goals.
Nigeria
- World Cup: Has participated in every Women’s World Cup in history, but never advanced past knockout round. … Made it to Round of 16 in the 2019 tournament, before losing to Germany 3-0.
- Coach: Randy Waldrum was named head coach in 2020. He also leads the women’s program at University of Pittsburgh.
- Key player(s): Watch out for Asisat Oshoala; In 2021 with her club, Barcelona, she became the first African women’s player to win the UEFA Champions League. … Defensively, the Super Falcons are led by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, 22. She became the youngest player ever to keep a clean sheet in the World Cup, with her team’s 2-0 win over South Korea in 2019. … Nigeria’s Onome Ebi, 40, will play her sixth World Cup.
- Buzz: Last year was only the third time Nigeria didn’t win the Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations trophy, conceding the title to South Africa and finishing fourth after losing to host Morocco in the semifinals.
Norway
- World Cup: Will play the first game of the 2023 World Cup against host New Zealand. … The Norwegians won the 1995 World Cup, their only title.
- Coach: Former star player Hege Riise was named to lead the team in August 2022. She was on the 1995 championship team, won an Olympic gold medal in 2000 and was named her country’s best women’s player of all time in 2003 by the Norwegian Football Association.
- Key player(s): Star striker Ada Hegerberg, the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or (2018), will play her first World Cup since 2015. She was away from the national team for five years in protest of her country’s unequal opportunities for female football participation.
- Buzz: Riise took over as coach after Norway’s disappointing Euro 2022 campaign, which included an 8-0 loss to England, and turned the program around to win its World Cup qualifying group.
Panama
- World Cup: Making women’s World Cup debut.
- Coach: Panama is coached by Nacho Quintana, who joined the program at the end of 2020, the first time he’s led a national team. He also helped lobby for the women to receive the same pay as the men’s national team.
- Key player(s): Midfielder Marta Cox is only 25, but already has a decade of experience with the senior national team, getting her first call-up at 14.
- Buzz: Finished third in their group at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, so missed out on automatic World Cup qualification, but beat Papua New Guinea and Paraguay in the playoff tournament to secure a bid. … The 2-0 win against Papua New Guinea included a viral bicycle kick scored by Cox.
Philippines
- World Cup: Making women’s World Cup debut. … Qualified by getting to semifinals of 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after winning a penalty shootout against Chinese Taipei.
- Coach: Managed by Alen Stajcic, who previously managed the Australian women’s national team from 2014 to 2019.
- Key player(s): Captain Tahnai Annis, a midfielder who grew up in Ohio and plays club soccer in Iceland, is a player to watch. She scored the penalty kick against Taipei to secure the team’s World Cup ticket. … 18-year-old forward Isabella Flanigan, who committed to play college soccer at West Virginia this past November, will also make her World Cup debut.
- Buzz: Won program’s first ever regional championship after a 3-0 win over Thailand in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship.
Portugal
- World Cup: Will be playing in its first women’s World Cup after qualifying with a 2-1 win over Cameroon (off a 94th minute penalty kick by Carole Costa). … Played a marathon 13 matches to secure their World Cup bid, including 10 in the UEFA qualifiers, two in the European playoff matches and one in the Inter-Confederation playoffs.
- Coach: Coach Francisco Neto is nearly a decade into his tenure with Portugal, after taking over in 2014.
- Key player(s): Led by experienced forward Jéssica Silva, who has more than 100 caps for the senior national team. … Portugal will also bring the youngest player the country has ever capped, with 20-year-old Francisca “Kika” Nazareth (who got her first call-up at age 16).
- Buzz: Currently No. 21 in FIFA world rankings, highest-ever for Portugal.
South Africa
- World Cup: Second World Cup appearance. … Knocked out of the group stage in 2019.
- Coach: Banyana Banyana are coached by Desiree Ellis, who led South Africa to its first World Cup appearance in 2019.
- Key player(s): Hildah Magai scored both goals of South Africa’s 2-1 win over Morocco in the WAFCON final. … Defenders should include Noko Matlou, 37, who was the first South African to ever be named African Women’s Footballer of the Year (in 2008).
- Buzz: Continental champions in 2022, defeating Morocco 2-1 in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. It was the country’s first time winning WAFCON, doing it with six straight wins. … During the knockout round of WAFCON, South Africa conceded only one goal in three matches.
South Korea
- World Cup: Playing in fourth World Cup and third in a row. … Didn’t make it out of the group stage in the 2019 tournament in France.
- Coach: Managed by Colin Bell, who previously won the 2015 UEFA Women’s Champions League with FFC Frankfurt. He took over the South Korean national team in 2019 and became the first coach to lead them to a final of an AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2022.
- Key player(s): Long-time star Cho So-hyun, a 35-year-old midfielder, could be playing her final World Cup. She is the country’s most capped player and helped lead South Korea to the 2015 Round of 16. … It could also be the last World Cup for midfielder Ji So-yun, 32. She played eight seasons for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League before returning to South Korea for her club career last year.
- Buzz: In the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, South Korea lost to China 3-2 after giving up a 2-0 lead.
Spain
- World Cup: Will compete in its third (and third consecutive) women’s World Cup.
- Coach: Jorge Vilda has coached the team since 2015.
- Key player(s): Won’t have many established stars after 15 players said last year they would not play for the national team unless there were changes to the program. Several later asked to rejoin the national team and three were included – Champions League MVP Aitana Bonmati, Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey – on the World Cup roster. … Alexia Putellas, who is considered one of the best players in the world and won the Ballon d’Or award in 2021 and 2022, also returns to the squad after missing most of last year with a torn ACL. … Spain’s squad could also include Salma Paralluelo, 19, who only recently dedicated her career to soccer over track and field. She brings speed to Spain’s offense as a sprinter, previously holding Spanish records for five different events.
- Buzz: Had a disappointing showing at the 2022 Euro championships, falling to England in the quarterfinals.
Sweden
- World Cup: Played in every women’s World Cup in history, making the semifinals four times and coming in second to Germany in 2003. … Will be particularly motivated this summer after coming up short in France in 2019. Sweden lost to the Netherlands in the semifinals before beating England in the third-place game.
- Coach: Peter Gerhardsson, a former player, has coached the team since 2016.
- Key player(s): Midfielder Hanna Bennison, 20, won Goal’s NXGN award for best young female football player in the world in 2021. … Also led by star defender Magdalena Eriksson, who just left Chelsea for Bayern Munich after six seasons, and veteran winger Sofia Jakobsson, who has almost 150 caps with the senior national team. Jakobsson plays for the NWSL San Diego Wave.
- Buzz: Won a silver medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. … Won the Algarve Cup in 2022 with a penalty shootout victory over Italy, ending an undefeated run through the tournament.
Switzerland
- World Cup: Playing in the World Cup for only the second time. … Other appearance was in 2015, when the team made the Round of 16 and lost to Canadian hosts.
- Coach: Managed by Inka Grings, who took over the reins at the beginning of 2023. … Grings, who scored 64 goals in 96 caps for Germany’s national team, also was the first woman to coach a men’s team, SV Straelen, in Germany’s top four divisions.
- Key player(s): Roster boasts Ramona Bachmann, second all-time in goals scored for the country; Riola Xhemaili, who scored a three-minute hat trick in her U-19 debut against Latvia in 2019; and Maria Crnogorcčević, the team’s top scorer this year with eight goals … Captain Lia Walti injured her ankle in May but could be back in time for the World Cup.
- Buzz: Lost just once (1-0 to Italy) during 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign. … Coming off an early exit during the group stage of the 2022 Euros.
USA
- World Cup: Won the past two women’s World Cups and will pursue an historical third straight trophy, which no men’s or women’s team has ever done. … The U.S. has never finished outside the top three at any women’s World Cup.
- Coach: Vlatko Andonovski was named USWNT’s ninth coach on Oct. 28, 2019. … Won first 16 games, best start of any USWNT coach.
- Key player(s): Will likely see a mix of familiar and young faces, including veterans Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, and 22-year-old forward Sophia Smith, who was both U.S. Soccer Player of the Year and National Women’s Soccer League MVP last year (the youngest ever to win the award) … The U.S. will be without injured star forward Mallory (Pugh) Swanson, who was the team’s leading scorer before tearing her patella tendon in April.
- Buzz: The Americans’ second group-stage game, against the Netherlands, will be a rematch of the 2019 final, which the U.S. won 2-0. … The Americans won the 2023 SheBelieves Cup in February with victories against Canada, Japan and Brazil.
Vietnam
- World Cup: 2023 will be country’s women’s World Cup debut.
- Coach: Coached by Mai Duc Chung, who has led Vietnam to a record four consecutive gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games.
- Key player(s): Huynh Nhu should appear for Vietnam, after making a splash globally. She became the first Vietnamese player to play for a pro club team in Europe (Länk Vilaverdense in Portugal). … Youngster Nguyeñ Thi Thanh Nhãc, 21, could also make a big impact. She scored one of Vietnam’s goals in the 2-0 win over Myanmar to secure gold at the Southeast Asian Games.
- Buzz: Qualified with a 2-1 victory against Chinese Taipei in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup playoff, off a match-winner by Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy. … Also won the Southeast Asian Games this year and the AFF Women’s Championship in 2022.
Zambia
- World Cup: One of the 2023 World Cup debutantes. … The first landlocked African team to qualify for a World Cup, men’s or women’s.
- Coach: Coached by Bruce Mwape, who has held the post since 2018.
- Key player(s): Zambia played the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations minus striker and captain Barbra Banda. who was deemed ineligible to play by the African confederation becasue of high testosterone levels. But she is expecoted to play at the World Cup. Banda made Olympic history during Zambia’s debut in 2021, becoming the first player to score a hat trick in back-to-back matches. … Striker Racheal Kundananji also brings offensive firepower. During the club season, she scored 25 goals for Madrid CFF, good for second in the league.
- Buzz: Won the COSAFA Women’s Championship in 2022. … Also finished third in last year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the first time Zambia has had a podium finish in the tournament.
– Developed by the Paste BN NETWORK Storytelling Studio
Displaying 32 of 32
Filters
Check to toggle display