EXCLUSIVE: Zambia, Zimbabwe open camp as S/Africa name squad for Los Angeles 2028 qualifiers 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No. 1 Women Football Journalist

Barely one week and three days to the second round of the Los Angeles Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament CAF qualifiers matches holding from October 5 to 13 during the FIFA Women’s International Window, some African countries like Zambia and Zimbabwe have already opened their training camps.

This is even as South Africa’s Banyana Banyana head coach Dr. Desiree Ellis has already named a  29-woman squad for South Africa’s upcoming CAF qualifiers against Madagascar with the back-to-back fixtures scheduled to take place at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa on October 9 and October 13, 2026.

Prompt News reports that Zambia’s senior women’s football team, the Copper Queens, which was cruelly eliminated from the group stage of the WAFCON Morocco 2026 tournament in August 2026 despite finishing with six points and a strong +6 goal difference as Nigeria and Malawi is currently in camp preparing for the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers.

Assistant coach Charles Haalubono, who took over after head coach Nora Häuptle, a Swiss national resigned recently, has summoned 33 local players for the initial training camp.

Zambia faces Uganda in the second round of the CAF Women’s Olympic qualifying series with the Copper Queens playing away against Uganda on October 8, followed by the home leg a week later at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Also, The Mighty Warriors as Zimbabwe’s women’s  football team are known are preparing to face Malawi in a two-legged qualifier scheduled for October 9 and 13, 2026.

For that reason, new head coach Stella Gotal has been working with 26 provisional players which will be cut down before Zimbabwe meets Malawi in the first leg tie on October 9, 2026, at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi while the second leg will hold on October 13 at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s coach Ellis retained a powerful core of experienced stars alongside a few fresh and returning faces in the 29-woman squad of Banyana Banyana from where she will pick 24 to face Madagascar.

Exciting additions in the squad include an 18-year-old forward Bonolo Mokoma and in-form striker Siyamthanda Qashani but she also dropped some notable high-profile players like Robyn Moodaly-Salgado and Lebo Ramalepe were left out as the squad size condensed from the group utilized during the winter WAFCON tournament.

A breakdown of the squad are as follows: three goalkeepers, defenders 9, midfielders 10 and attackers 7

Goalkeepers: Andile Dlamini, Kaylin Swart, Kebotseng Moletsane.

Defenders: Bambanani Mbane, Fikile Magama, Bongeka Gamede, Sinegugu Zondi, Karabo Dhlamini, Tiisetso Makhubela, Lonathemba Mhlongo, Antonia Maponya, Khutso Pila.

*Midfielders: Refiloe Jane (captain), Linda Motlhalo, Amogelang Motau, Kholosa Biyana, Nomvula Kgoale, Sphumelele Shamase, Noxolo Cesane, Cimone Sauls, Zoe October, Isabella Ludwig.

Forwards: Thembi Kgatlana, Hildah Magaia, Ronnel Donnelly, Siyamthanda Qashani, Bonolo Mokoma, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Gabriela Salgado.