The Zambia Women’s National Team played their first match at the
Paris 2024 Olympics against the United States of America in Nice last night, suffering a 3-0 defeat.
Zambia’s lineup looked strong on paper, with the duo of Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda starting as attackers. Rachel Kundanaji and Kabange Mupopo occupied the wings, while Prisca Chilufya played as a defensive midfielder alongside Hellen Chanda. The back four consisted of Esther Siamfuko, Pauline Zulu, Martha Tembo, and Lushomo Mweemba, with Ngambo Musole in goal.
From the onset, Zambia was under pressure, but Ngambo Musole and her defence managed to clear several dangerous balls. However, they couldn’t contain the pressure, and in the 17th minute, USA took the lead through Trinity Rodman. Mallory Swanson added a brace in the 24th and 25th minutes. Zambia was reduced to 10 players before halftime after Pauline Zulu was red-carded for fouling a player just outside the box, denying a scoring opportunity.
Despite the 3-0 loss to the four-time champions, Zambia Women’s National Team coach Bruce Mwape remains optimistic about the Copper Queens' chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“Fans shouldn’t lose hope. We still have two more games to go and can still qualify for the quarterfinals. It’s not the end of the world. It was a bad result, but the girls did well, especially in the second half. We made a lot of mistakes in the first half, and they capitalized on those mistakes, but in the second half, we picked up,” Mwape said.
“We need to strategize again because we need to start creating chances, unlike how we played against the USA. I am sure we will be able to carry the day,” he added.
Copper Queens captain Barbra Banda expressed confidence that the team can bounce back from Thursday’s loss to the USA and secure wins that will send them to the knockout stage of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“We are looking forward to another game. We still have a chance and are focused. We had a good second half, coordinated well, and communicated effectively. Playing 10 vs. 11 (after the red card) was not easy, but at least in the second half, we managed to contain the USA,” Banda said.
Zambia’s next match is against Australia this Sunday. Australia lost their first match to Germany 3-0.
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