HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — Zambia’s coach is under investigation for sexual assault, its star player got banned from a key African tournament and at 77th the team is lowest ranked of any at the Women’s World Cup.

And yet the Copper Queens are coming off a surprise win over Germany and know how to score. Heading into its opener Saturday against Japan, Zambia doesn’t see itself as a lost cause but as a team with more than a chance.

“As far as I’m concerned, we cannot consider ourselves as underdogs,” Zambia coach Bruce Mwape said. “Others will look at us as underdogs, not ourselves.

“We regard ourselves as a big team that can challenge any other team in the world.”

Scoring nine goals in their last four matches, the Copper Queens have drawn attention with their performances. And just ahead of its first World Cup appearance, Zambia won its final tune-up friendly against the second-ranked team in the world, Germany.

The team captain, 23-year-old Barbra Banda, sealed a 3-2 victory with a pair of goals that included a 102nd-minute winner against the two-time world champions.

The journey for most Zambian players, from their start in the sport to that victory and this Women’s World Cup, was long and difficult. Team photographer Chisanga Siame said many players representing Zambia grew up playing on pitches without grass and without basic equipment like cleats.

The players “are coming from very average and poor backgrounds,” Siame said. “People that have been literally playing for free for most of their career within the local league, and here they are, living their dream at the World Cup.”

Off the pitch, it’s also been a tough road to New Zealand.

Mwape has been at the center of an investigation for sexual misconduct in the Zambian soccer association.

According to a report by The Guardian newspaper, Mwape allegedly coerced players into having sex with him, and players were threatened with punishment should they speak out.

Mwape denied the allegations. Zambia soccer association president Andrew Kamanga confirmed in a message to The Associated Press that allegations were referred to FIFA and Zambian police last year and said it was “an old story.”

In line with protocol, FIFA said its independent ethics committee would not comment on whether or not there was an investigation underway.

Zambia earned its first World Cup spot back in the summer of 2022 at the African Cup of Nations, where the Copper Queens were without Banda. She was excluded from last year’s African championship in a sex eligibility case mishandled by authorities. While Banda has been cleared to play in the Women’s World Cup, her absence was a huge challenge to the Copper Queens.

Nonetheless, the Zambian supporting cast managed to reach the semifinals of the tournament, which qualified it for a place in New Zealand. Zambia lost to eventual champion South Africa, finishing third.

The majority of the Copper Queens, like Banda, play on the fringes of club soccer for teams like BIIK Shymkent in Kazakhstan, Shanghai Shengli in China and clubs across Zambia.

If not having any prior World Cup experience wasn’t enough, the addition of 18-year-old goalkeeper Leticia Lungu for the injured Hazel Nali makes Zambia the second-youngest team in the tournament, with an average age of 23.7 years.

“They have been to the African Cup twice. They’ve been to the Olympics,” Mwape said. “For me, I think they have the experience required to play in this type of competition.”

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Luke Vargas is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

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AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports