Rabat – Zambia and Egypt will face each other for the first time at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) when they meet in their Group C opener on Tuesday, July 28, at the Rabat Olympic Stadium.
The Copper Queens enter the tournament as one of Africa’s rising powers after back-to-back impressive WAFCON campaigns, while Egypt returns to the continental finals for the first time since 2016, hoping to advance beyond the group stage for the first time in its history.
Match Details
- Fixture: Zambia vs Egypt
- Competition: WAFCON 2026 – Group C (Matchday 1)
- Venue: Rabat Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco
- Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
- Kick-off: 18:00 Morocco time (WET) / 17:00 UTC / 18:00 WAT / 19:00 CAT
How to Watch
- Morocco / MENA: Arryadia (SNRT), beIN Sports
- Zambia: SuperSport, ZNBC
- Egypt: ON Time Sports, beIN Sports
- International Streaming: CAF TV (YouTube) in selected territories
Zambia Looking to Build on Recent Success
Zambia heads into its fifth WAFCON appearance as one of the tournament’s strongest contenders. The Copper Queens finished third in 2022 to qualify for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup before reaching the quarterfinals at the 2024 edition.
The team has become one of Africa’s most consistent performers, going unbeaten in its last seven WAFCON group-stage matches, with four wins and three draws. Zambia has also progressed beyond the group stage in each of the last two tournaments.
This will be Zambia’s third WAFCON match against North African opposition. The Copper Queens are unbeaten in their previous two, drawing 2-2 with hosts Morocco in their opening match of the 2024 tournament after defeating Tunisia 1-0 in 2022.
Swiss coach Nora Häuptle once again leads Zambia, with star forwards Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji expected to spearhead the attack. Kundananji is Zambia’s all-time leading WAFCON scorer with six tournament goals, while Banda famously scored after just 58 seconds against Morocco in 2024, the second-fastest goal in WAFCON history.
Egypt Back on the Continental Stage
Egypt returns to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in a decade, making its third appearance after previously competing in 1998 and 2016.
The Pharaohs have never advanced beyond the group stage, although they earned their first-ever WAFCON victory in 2016 with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe.
Head coach Mohamed Kamal, who has enjoyed remarkable domestic success with Wadi Degla, will look to guide Egypt to its first knockout-stage qualification. Kamal has led the national team since late 2020 after previously coaching Egypt’s U20 women’s side.
Head-to-Head
Tuesday’s encounter will be the first-ever WAFCON meeting between Zambia and Egypt.
While Zambia is unbeaten against North African teams at the tournament, Egypt has faced Southern African opposition twice before, defeating Zimbabwe and losing heavily to South Africa during the 2016 edition.
What to Expect
Zambia is expected to dominate possession through the pace and attacking quality of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, whose partnership has become one of the most dangerous in African football.
Egypt is likely to adopt a disciplined defensive approach while looking to capitalize on counterattacks and set-piece opportunities against one of the tournament favorites.
With Zambia aiming to continue its rise among Africa’s elite and Egypt eager to mark its return with a positive result, the Group C clash promises an intriguing battle in Rabat.
Zambia’s recent WAFCON pedigree, attacking firepower, and greater tournament experience make the Copper Queens clear favorites.
Prediction: Zambia 3-0 Egypt
