Zambia captain Taonga Mubanga is targeting a place on the podium as she prepares to make her third consecutive appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which begins in Morocco on Saturday, October 17.
The midfielder, who featured at the 2024 edition in the Dominican Republic and returned for the 2025 tournament in Morocco, will once again lead the Copper Princesses as they seek to build on their progress at the competition.
Mubanga has made her ambitions clear ahead of the tournament. “We would like to step on to the podium, but first we must focus on the group stage,” she remarked as she targets a historic finish with the Zambian side.
At just 16, the captain has already accumulated seven appearances at the tournament, having played in all three of Zambia’s matches in 2024 before featuring in all four of their games in 2025. Her consistency has made her one of the more experienced players in the competition, despite her young age.
With seven appearances at the competition, she sits just five behind the all-time record set by Venezuelan Deyna Castellanos across the 2014 and 2016 editions.
Her third appearance will also provide another opportunity to demonstrate the leadership qualities she has developed through her experiences at previous editions. Mubanga, who was 14 when she made her debut in 2024, believes discipline, hard work and focus will be essential as Zambia prepare for another demanding campaign.
The Copper Princesses made history at the 2025 tournament by progressing beyond the group stage for the first time, an achievement they will hope to build upon as they return to Morocco for the latest edition.
Mubanga Draws on Previous World Cup Experiences
Zambia’s captain believes her experience can help guide her teammates through the challenges of competing against some of the world’s strongest youth sides. “I can encourage my team-mates to always work hard, stay disciplined, stay focused and be ready for anything,” Mubanga said, outlining her approach to leadership.
The midfielder has also identified France’s Aurélien Tchouaméni as a player she admires, citing the Real Madrid and France international’s style of play as an inspiration. She hopes to follow a similar path by progressing into professional football within the next two or three years.
“I have played a lot of games here; starting from 2024, I have played all the games and as of now I’m still playing all the games.”
Taonga Mubanga, Zambia captain
Zambia’s opening opponents, Japan, will present a familiar challenge. The two nations met at both previous tournaments, with Japan winning 4-1 in the Dominican Republic in 2024 and 2-0 in Morocco last year.
Copper Princesses Face Tough Group D Test
The Copper Princesses begin their Group D campaign against Japan on Sunday, October 18, at the Women’s Football Complex in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 local time. They will then face Venezuela on October 21 before concluding their group-stage fixtures against France on October 24.
Group D is particularly demanding, featuring two former champions. Japan won the competition in 2014, while France claimed the title in 2012. Venezuela, meanwhile, reached the semi-finals in both 2014 and 2016, finishing fourth on each occasion.
The 2026 tournament marks Zambia’s fourth overall appearance at the U-17 Women’s World Cup. Their first came in Costa Rica in 2014, before returning to the global stage in 2024. Their run to the knockout stage in 2025 represented a significant breakthrough, and Mubanga’s side will be eager to show that achievement was only the beginning.
Although the captain acknowledges that Zambia are unfamiliar with France and Venezuela, she insists her team will approach both opponents with respect while maintaining belief in their ability to compete. “We just need to respect them because we don’t know their style of play but we definitely believe that we can beat them,” she said.
With a third consecutive World Cup appearance ahead of her, Mubanga now has the opportunity to turn her growing experience into a medal-winning campaign and help Zambia make further history on the international stage.
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