Zambia WAFCON exit fuels Häuptle’s criticism of CAF tie‑break rules

Zambia’s head coach Nora Häuptle blasted the Confederation of African Football’s tie‑break regulations after the Copper Queens’ departure from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite their 2‑1 victory over Malawi on Wednesday night that should have kept them in contention.

In the group stage, Zambia finished level on points with Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Malawi, each side accumulating the same tally. CAF’s tie‑break rule stipulated that qualification would be decided by the number of goals scored in the head‑to‑head matches among the three tied teams.

The Copper Queens secured a 2‑1 win against Malawi, scoring the decisive goal in the second half on Wednesday. The victory, however, was not enough to prevent Zambia bowing out of the tournament.

Under the head‑to‑head criteria, Nigeria advanced with four goals, Malawi with three, and Zambia with only two goals in the direct encounters. Consequently, the Super Falcons and Malawi progressed to the knockout phase while the Copper Queens were eliminated.

Speaking after the match, Häuptle expressed her frustration, saying, “We scored the most goals in this group, and we conceded the least goals,” and added, “Sometimes I’m not sure if we do the right things with this kind of regulations because it feels completely weird that we are out.” Her remarks were reported by the Lusaka Times.

She described the tie‑break rules as inconsistent with the spirit of the game and criticised the Confederation of African Football for a system that penalises teams that perform well on the pitch. She argued that such regulations undermine the fairness of competition.

Captain Barbra Banda said the squad would learn from the disappointment and return stronger in future competitions. Banda’s comments underscored the team’s resolve despite the early exit.

Striker Racheal Kundananji also voiced pride in the players’ effort, noting that the team fought hard even though their tournament run ended prematurely, and highlighted the disconnect that may prompt a review of CAF’s tie‑break criteria. The contrast between on‑field success – scoring the most goals and conceding the fewest – and the regulatory decision that sent them home highlights a potential need for rule revision.