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The Zambia Women’s Football national team was eliminated from the ongoing
Paris 2024 Olympics after losing all three of their group matches.
The team first faced the USA, suffering a 3-0 defeat. In their second match, Zambia put up a strong fight but ultimately lost 6-5 to Australia. Their final Group B match, played last night against Germany, ended in a 4-1 defeat, with Zambia's only goal scored by captain Barbra Banda.
Zambia's chance of securing their first Olympic win was dashed in the game against Australia. Despite leading 2-5 at one point, they ended up losing 5-6, a heartbreaking result that left them at the bottom of their group without a point. This marked the Copper Queens' second appearance at the Olympics, following their debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but they have yet to record a win.
Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji were the only scorers for Zambia during the tournament, collectively scoring six goals. Banda scored four goals in total, including a hat-trick against the USA and the lone goal against Germany. Kundananji contributed two goals to Zambia's tally.
Despite the team's overall disappointing performance, there were notable individual achievements. Barbra Banda continued to make history by scoring her third hat-trick in Olympic women's football, adding to her impressive record from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she became the first player to score two consecutive hat-tricks in the tournament's history. Banda's outstanding performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics has also earned her a place among the all-time top scorers, with 10 goals in just six games, including three hat-tricks.
While Zambia's campaign ended in disappointment, Banda's accomplishments provide a silver lining and hope for the future of Zambian women's football.
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