Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle has criticised the Confederation of African Football (CAF) tie-break regulations after the Copper Queens were dramatically eliminated from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations despite finishing the group stage with six points.
Zambia defeated Malawi 2-1 in their final Group C fixture but were still eliminated after Nigeria defeated Egypt 6-2 in the other group game, leaving all three teams on six points. Under the competition’s tie-break criteria, results involving the three teams were considered first, ultimately leaving Zambia third and outside the quarter-finals.
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The outcome was particularly frustrating for Häuptle because Zambia finished the group stage with the best overall goal difference, having scored the most goals and conceded the fewest among the three teams.
The Swiss coach questioned whether the regulation reflected the sporting spirit of the competition, describing Zambia’s elimination as difficult to accept.
“It feels completely weird. We scored the most goals and conceded the fewest, but we are out. That is very difficult to understand,” Häuptle said.
Zambia had opened their campaign with a victory over Egypt before suffering a narrow defeat to Nigeria and then defeating Malawi in their final group fixture.
However, the Copper Queens’ defeat to Nigeria proved decisive under the head-to-head criteria when all three teams finished level on points. The final calculations from the three-team mini-table ultimately saw Malawi top Group C, Nigeria finish second and Zambia eliminated.
Häuptle praised her players for their efforts throughout the tournament but admitted the manner of their elimination was painful.
“The girls gave everything. We had a very good tournament and deserved more, but these are the rules. It is frustrating to go out in this way,” she added.
The elimination also ended Zambia’s hopes of qualifying directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with only the four WAFCON semi-finalists securing automatic African qualification.
Despite the disappointment, Häuptle said the Copper Queens can take pride in their performances and use the experience as motivation for future competitions.
The controversial outcome has also reignited debate around the application of tie-break rules in major African competitions, particularly when a team with a superior overall goal difference can be eliminated despite recording the same number of points as its rivals.
