Football
Exclusive: First Zambian Female Coach To Lift An International Trophy Talks Future Of Women’s Football
Florence Mwila, the first Zambian female coach to win an international trophy, shares her journey, challenges, and vision for women's football in Zambia.
Image Credit Zambia FA Media
Zambia's Copper Queens won the 2024 COSAFA Women's Championship with a penalty shootout victory over South Africa's Banyana Banyana on November 2, 2024, making Florence Mwila the first female Zambian coach to win an international trophy in history.
The final finished 0-0 after extra time, but the key moments came in the penalty shootout, where Zambian goalkeeper Ngambo Musole emerged as a hero. She saved two penalties and converted one herself.
Zambia won their second COSAFA Women's Championship championship after winning the first in 2022.
MWILA SETS RECORD
Mwila, who was assisted by Enala Phiri and William Njobvu during the tournament, made history as Zambia's first female head coach to win an international championship at any level.
She was filling in for Bruce Mwape, who had been excused from the tournament. Her primary goal was to discover new talent that could be promoted to the main Copper Queens squad, as she selected majority of debutants with the likes of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji not part of the team.
“It’s been a great experience for me as a coach, for the technical bench, and for the girls, especially the girls that are coming [to the national team] for the first time. They put in there all, and they fought till the end, and here it has paid off,” Mwila said after the victory.
Do you consider yourself the best female coach in Zambia right now? "Actually, it's a collective effort. You know, when you're the head, it doesn't mean you know it all. And that's why you have assistants,”
Even somebody who's below you in terms of hierarchy will give you advice that will help you achieve what you want to achieve. So on this one, I'll tell you that it's collective effort.
Florence Mwila
LOOKING AHEAD
Setting the milestone as the first female Zambian coach to win an international trophy excites Mwila, who is also the head coach for Zanaco Ladies FC.
However, in an interview with SportsBoom.com, she stated that women are frequently misjudged and underestimated even before taking on coaching responsibilities, but she is pleased that the narrative is gradually shifting.
“You know, sometimes people always judge you for whatever reason. But I don't like that. So, this is a special topic to me as an individual. It shows me how I've grown as a coach when I look back on how I started this coaching career. So, this project shows how much work I've put in as an individual, and it is pushing me to even push for more going forward,” she told SportsBoom.com.
WOMEN MUST BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE ABLE
Mwila, a CAF B coaching licence holder, believes that the misconception that women solely belong in the kitchen must be dispelled. She encouraged more women to take up the challenge and pursue a coaching career, as the future seems promising.
“The future for women's coaches is very bright. Everyone must believe that they're able to achieve; you know, we are working in a male-dominated sport, but the best is to learn from the men themselves and better [not limiting ourselves].”
THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A FEMALE COACH
Controlling the players, like any coach, may be challenging, especially for a female coach, but Mwila says what has helped her is communicating her ideas to the squad clearly and making all of the players feel like part of the team.
“So, the first thing is you need to set your objectives. Let them know what is expected of them. Let them know what you want and what to achieve with them. Make them feel a part of it. That's what's important, because if they feel they're a part of it, they will give you what you want. But if you make it like a one-man show, others will not accept it.”
Mwila encourages African football associations to provide female coaches with additional skills by sending them back to school to obtain further coaching badges, especially as the world becomes more sophisticated due to advancements in technology, including in sports.
I believe that more women should be assisted in developing additional coaching skills and approaches. We also need assistance in improving our coaching qualifications by taking us to school.
Florence Mwila
Mwila believes that when it comes to football technology, women's teams should have a video analyst on their technical bench. “We're now in the modern days and think that a video analyst will be very important at any given time, especially at national teams; I think even at the club we should introduce video analysts.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Mwila's accomplishment came just weeks after Carol Kanyemba achieved history as the first female Zambian coach at any age level FIFA World Cup, leading the Copper Princesses to the 2024 Dominican Republic FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where she was unable to advance past the group stage.
Copper Queens will now begin preparations for the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), where they hope to build on their third-place finish in 2022.
Mwila, who is expected to be on the technical bench again, indicated that the team's goal for next year's WAFCON is to win the title, as she believes Zambia has the talent to be Africa's champions.
“The target is to win. If we look at how far we've come for the first time, we got to get bronze, meaning that there is that room for us to reach that far. Our girls have gained a lot of exposure at the Olympics and World Cup.
"The results may or may not be good at that level, but the exposure and the experience itself, plus the new players that are coming in [fresh from winning the] Cosafa, is a drive on its own for the players to really push,” concluded Mwila.
Calvin Kaumba Chikenge is a renowned multimedia sports journalist from Zambia, known for his in-depth reporting and captivating feature stories. With eight years of experience in the field, he has built a reputation for telling unique stories that resonate with audiences both locally and globally. His talent and dedication were recognised when he was named the 2023/24 MTN/FAZ Super League Journalist of the Year, highlighting his outstanding contributions to sports journalism in Zambia.