Group C of the Women’s World Cup has clear favourites on paper in terms of which teams will qualify for the knockouts.
While Spain and Japan are the heavyweights on paper, expect debutant Zambia and underdog Costa Rica to give a good fight in a bid to qualify for the next round.
Here is a look at all four teams in Group C for the WWC.
Spain
Spain, which made its Women’s World Cup debut in 2015, will be looking to win its maiden World Cup title in the 2023 World Cup.
La Roja have been plagued by internal problems in its buildup to the World Cup, with the most notable one being when 15 players jointly announced their resignation from the national team in September 2022 via social media.
On top of the internal problems, doubts remain over whether key player Alexia Putellas will be able to recover from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). But, the return of Jennie Hermoso will provide a huge boost for Spain after the player missed the Euros last year due to a knee injury.
Spain
Spain squad
Costa Rica
The Costa Rican team, which has shown significant improvement with time. After finishing fourth in the Concacaf W Championship in Mexico last year, which got the team a slot in the 2023 World Cup, the Las Ticas performed brilliantly in the qualifiers for the regional championships.
They scored 22 goals and did not concede any in their matches against St Kitts and Nevis, US Virgin Islands, Curaçao, and Guatemala. Amelia Valverde’s team finished second in Group B behind Canada and ahead of Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. It lost to the USA in the semis.
The squad has an exciting balance between star players such as Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno and Shirley Cruz, along with talented youngsters.
Costa Rica
Zambia
Zambia, which is participating in its debut World Cup, comes into the tournament with a unique record.
It is the first team from any landlocked African nation to qualify for a senior World Cup – male or female. Despite being in a relatively tough group, Zambia will aim high and look to go deep into the tournament.
As far as the tough opponents in its group are concerned, this is what Zambia head coach Bruce Mwape had to say, “To be a champion, you need to beat the best.”
“For me, this is the time to show the world that we can play any team in the World Cup. [After the draw] I looked at the teams and thought to myself, ‘We can still make it to the next round,” Mwape said.
The Copper Queens lost first-choice goalkeeper Hazel Nali for the World Cup due to a laxity in the Medial Collateral Ligament and a complete tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).
Zambia
Zambia squad
Japan
The Japan Women’s football team, which has participated in every edition of the Women’s World Cup since its advent in 1991, took the world by storm by winning the 2011 edition in Germany. Starting the tournament as underdogs, the Nadeshiko went on to stun the world as they clinched the title.
Unfortunately, Japan could not build on its momentum and suffered a crushing 5-2 defeat against the USA in the 2015 edition in Canada, thus getting knocked out. In the 2019 edition in the Netherlands, it was another disappointing campaign for Japan as it bowed out after losing against the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
Despite underperforming, it is not all doom and gloom for Japan. Backed by a strong foundation of young talent, many of whom have become seasoned professionals, the Nadeshiko have the capability to reach the summit again and revisit the glory days of 2011.
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