The Copper Queens have left for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with Captain Barbara Banda confident of a good performance.

Africa’s sole representatives jetted off this afternoon aboard Ethiopian Airlines ahead of the tournament that kicks off on July 21 with Zambia taking on Netherlands in Group F.

Banda said the team’s morale was high and all the players were excited that the Olympic games were finally in sight.

The tournament that was initially scheduled for 2020 was postponed to this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed the globe.

” I am very much excited because the time has finally come and we hope we have a very safe travel to Tokyo,” said the Shanghai Shengli star.
She said the team was adequately prepared having been in camp for over three months and were ready for battle.

“The morale has been high in camp, and this is the day that everyone has been waiting for and it has finally come. We are very much ready as a team and the preparation has been going on well,” she said.

Banda said their focus was to win their first game of the tournament to set the tone of the tournament.

” The first game is always important. As we go our first game we must be on top of our game and get the first three points. This will determine how far we will go in the tournament,” she said.

“We have played so many high-level games. We are not intimidated at all; our great achievement was in qualifying and our aim now is to do our level best.”

Banda added that the Olympics was a great opportunity for the players to showcase their talent and beak into Europe.

” This is the best opportunity for each and everyone to show off their talent and to sell themselves. I think in our team we have a good number of players that are capable of playing professional football, its up to them to show what they are capable of, and I am sure that most of them will go professional, “she said.

The Copper Queens will Africa’s sole representatives and are in Group F with Netherlands, China and Brazil.