Zambia's women's national team midfielder, Irene Lungu, is setting her sights on securing maximum points in their Paris 2024 Olympics first-leg qualifier against Ghana this Friday.
The Copper Queens will clash with Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium in the capital city, marking the first leg of the third round of qualifiers. Lungu, who plays for BIIK Shymkent in Kazakhstan, expressed confidence in the team's readiness for the match.
"We're all prepared and have been pushing ourselves. The league has been beneficial, so I believe everyone is in top form. Winning in Ghana is crucial for us, and that's our primary objective," stated Lungu confidently.
Despite the challenge of playing away from home, Lungu emphasized the team's determination to secure all three points, highlighting it as their primary source of pressure.
"Our main pressure is to secure the maximum three points. That's the pressure we're carrying," she added.
Having made their Olympics debut in 2021, the Copper Queens aim to secure their second consecutive appearance in the global tournament, representing Africa alongside one other nation in Paris next year.
Meanwhile, the Black Queens of Ghana are eager to make their Olympics debut and are poised to script history, starting with their upcoming clash.
Since the inception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament in 1996, only five African countries—Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia—have participated.
The Paris 2024 Olympics football tournament is scheduled to take place from July 24 to August 10, 2024.