The Copper Queens will face the Scorchers at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat at 22:00 CAT and must win to stay in contention for a place in the last eight; while the Scorchers will only need a draw to finish top of the group.
Ahead of the game, Hauptle says her side is approaching the match with positivity and without relying on qualification permutations.
Zambia in a good position
“We are in a good position, all in our hands. For me, it’s a privilege to be in this situation,” said a confident Hauptle.
“To play the last game in this group and to be in the situation where it’s in our hands. We don’t need to rely on other results but what we face; that’s not pressure.”
The Swiss trainer added Zambia will stick to its game plan instead of worrying about qualification scenarios.
“We are in a very good situation. It’s all in our hands. Of course, we have seen all these calculations, but we don’t go out and calculate tomorrow on the pitch,” added Hauptle.
“We go out and focus on our performance, as always. We have a clear approach to how we want to face Malawi.
“I think we played three very good halftimes out of the last four, and we want to build on this stable approach.”
Hauptle expects another tough meeting with Malawi, saying the two sides are evenly matched and know each other well.
“This squad is as equal to us. They have top players on the club level, and they have players abroad; they also have good players in the squad behind the top players,” offered Hauptle.
“So, it’s a very similar team in the picture to our team. We know about their strength. We also played against each other a lot, so players know each other.
“Tactic-wise, there are not so many secrets, I would say, in this game, but again, we bounce back to us.”
Hauptle further provided an update on Racheal Kundananji, who limped off during the narrow defeat to the Super Falcons. She said Kundananji was being treated for muscle strain that she suffered during the game.
Speaking on behalf of the players, goalkeeper Hazel Nali said the Copper Queens are fully aware of what is at stake and are ready for the challenge.
“We know exactly what we want and we know exactly what’s on the table. Our main focus is to work extra hard because football is played on the pitch. What we want as a team is to fight and give our all for the country,” explained Nali.
Nali added that Zambia will not be distracted by previous results against Malawi.
“When you’re playing football, you don’t play based on history. We’re not moved or shaken by the past matches we’ve played against Malawi. What is going to count is how we display ourselves tomorrow (Wednesday),” Nali concluded.
Nali called for unity, saying the Copper Queens must work together to deal with Malawi's pace and keep their WAFCON campaign alive.
“We want to play as a team because we’re in this together and we want to do this together,” said Nali.
“The team we’re going to play has players with speed, just like we have in training with Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji and the others.
“That is something we’re working on as a team. It may be considered one of our weaknesses, but trust me, we’re working on it and hopefully we’ll get it right in the game.”
Meanwhile, Malawi coach Lovemore Fazili says his side will not play for a draw against Zambia.
The Scorchers go into the match with a perfect record after winning their opening two matches against defending champions Nigeria and Egypt.
WAFCON 2026
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is taking place from July 26th to August 16th in Morocco, across venues in Rabat and Casablanca. The continent's 16 best sides are competing in groups of four before the knockout stages commence on August 8th.
All you need to know about WAFCON | Group standings, fixtures and results | All the latest WAFCON news
Malawi focused on beating Zambia
As it stands, Malawi needs to avoid defeat against the Copper Queens to progress to the quarterfinals, but Fazili says his side will go for another win.
“We have been preparing very well and the players are responding very well. It looks like everybody wants to play, but in football there are only 11 players who start the game, so we will try to choose the best 11 to start the game,” said Fazili.
“We are focused on winning the game, not thinking about a draw. First of all, we want to win and keep a clean sheet. A draw will be fine if things do not go as expected, but our aim is to win the game.”
Fazili added: “If we win, we will have nine points, so it will be good for Malawi to collect nine points in this group.”
However, Malawi will be without Rose Alufandika, who is suspended after receiving a red card in the 3-1 win over Egypt.
“We are going to miss Alufandika, but we have a plan B for her. The player who is going to replace Rose has confidence and has played in defence before, so we do not have any problem with that,” added Fazili.
The Scorchers currently lead Group C with six points and will be looking to complete the group stage unbeaten.
