WHO SHOULD REALLY REPLACE NORA?
By Uncle Philip Banda
Nora Häuptle is gone, and FAZ has confirmed that the separation was mutual. She leaves after a tenure that began in January 2025, with a record of 12 games, 6 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats.
But now the big question is: WHO SHOULD REALLY REPLACE NORA?
In my view, Carol Kanyemba deserves serious consideration.
Kanyemba has now guided the Copper Princesses to three consecutive FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifications — 2024, 2025 and 2026. That is a remarkable achievement and shows her ability to develop young players and build teams.
The FIFA Series also raised questions about Zambia’s technical direction. Under the interim arrangement of Coach Charles Haalubono, the Copper Queens lost 4–0 to Canada, 6–1 to Brazil and drew 1–1 with South Korea.
I also believe Nora’s approach became increasingly difficult to sustain. In my view, she appeared to want to operate on remote control, while remaining away from Zambia.
Had she spent more time in Zambia, working closely with the domestic game and monitoring players, she could have had a greater opportunity to develop more talent for the Copper Queens.
Now FAZ must look beyond simply replacing Nora.
CAROL KANYEMBA SHOULD BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
She has already shown what she can do with the Copper Princesses. The question is whether FAZ is ready to give her the opportunity to take that experience to the Copper Queens.