Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji told ESPN that Zambia will shake up the established order at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, breaking the stranglehold of Nigeria and defending champions South Africa.
Zambia, without Kundananji and fellow star striker Barbra Banda, finished third at the last tournament, achieving a shock upset by beating 11-time champions Nigeria in the third place match.
The forward says that victory, and their stirring performances at two Olympic Games and the World Cup, have put them in good stead to ruffle feathers in Morocco, starting July 5.
Kundananji told ESPN: "At WAFCON, we are going to be the powerhouse, and our target is to win the Cup. We need to do it for the first time for Mother Zambia. Carrying an international cup would be so great for the whole of Zambia."
Nigeria with their 11 wins, including nine in the current tournament format, are every team's bogey side whenever WAFCON rolls around, but Kundananji says the Copper Queens are ready to scrap.
The NWSL star added: "Zambia is Zambia. There are big teams who have been dominating for a long time, but now, it is time for a new team to dominate. It won't be easy but we are ready for the fight."
Zambia's confidence is fuelled, in part, by an array of generational talent playing in the NWSL, like Orlando Pride teammates Banda, Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya and of course Kundananji herself.
Then one adds defensive stalwarts Martha Tembo of Hakkarigucu Spor in Turkey and her club teammate Lushomo Mweemba, who scored Zambia's first-ever goal at a FIFA Women's World Cup, and a final appearance isn't out of the question.
This core of battle-hardened stars have also been given extra pep by the arrival of Swiss tactician Nora Häuptle, whose structured, high-tempo philosophy has already begun to reshape the team.
The Bay FC forward said of the new tactician: "Despite having a new coach who has come in, we think she is going to do something and continue taking the team where we should be."
Hauptle, who has prior experience of African football with Ghana's Black Queens, took over the reins in January and was not holding back about her team's ambitions either, ahead of a July 5 opening day meeting with Morocco, their first opponent and arguably the toughest team in their group that also includes Senegal and Congo DR.
"We are ready to hunt," Häuptle told the media from the team's training base in Morocco.
"Morocco have technically good players, and we are aware of that, but we want to challenge them the best we can and find the right strategy to go at them."
For Hauptle, that starts with building a team culture: "We had a very good session. . .about our values - how we want to act on the pitch, how we want to be recognised, and what kind of culture we want to express to the outside.
"The mood is excellent. I think we have found a very good balance between having a good mood and working hard."
Häuptle might just have the pieces to mount a more than credible, potentially title-winning challenge led by Kundananji and Banda.
Kundananji enjoyed an impressive debut season in the NWSL with Bay FC, registering five goals and four assists in her first NWSL season, and continues to be the team's spearhead. Her pace, movement, and finishing are a constant source of headaches to opposition defenders everywhere she goes.
Her strike partner, Banda, remains one of the most feared forwards in world football. Banda's ability to play between the lines, and knack for big moments have been demonstrated in her remarkable record of three Olympic hat-tricks and nine goals in total, making her Africa's record scorer at the Games.
Last season, she scored 13 goals in the regular NWSL season and added another four in the post-season as Orlando Pride claimed the title, and she walked away with MVP honours. She has continued where she left off, with eight goals so far this season.
In midfield, Grace Chanda, a versatile playmaker currently plying her trade in Kazakhstan, offers creativity and balance. Her ability to link midfield and attack is vital in Häuptle's system.
Defensively, Zambia look to stalwarts like Margaret Belemu, a dynamic right-back known for her engine and overlaps, and center-back Agness Musase, whose commanding presence in aerial duels anchors the backline.
Kundananji is confident that if the whole team work as one and limit opportunities for the oppositions they will go far: "We just need to work on our mistakes, and not concede goals. If we play together and play for each other, we can be the best. We are the chosen team. It is our time to shine."
With the core of the team having been playing together since at least 2018, Kundananji is confident that their cohesion will be their winning ingredient.
She said: "Playing for the national team is different from playing at the club level because here we know each other. We have been together for so many years and it's very easy. All the players know my style and how I move."
Kundananji, who is famous for playing with a smile on her face, believes Zambia will play with freedom: "In soccer, you don't need to have pressure. You just need to enjoy the game because even though we all know our target, we just need to enjoy the game and do our job."