A gutting third successive group stage loss against Germany tonight saw Zambia’s beloved Copper Queens eliminated from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Zambia knew the challenge they faced going into the game but hoped that their star players, Barbara Banda and Rachel Kundananji, could turn the tide in their favour.
Germany concluded their group stage campaign with a dominant 4-1 victory, securing their spot in the quarterfinals. A brace from striker Lea Schüller was instrumental in the triumph.
The heartbreak began early for Zambia, who found themselves 1-0 down shortly after kick-off. Just ten minutes in, Schüller struck the first blow, finding the back of the Zambian net.
The rest of the first half saw neither side capitalise on their chances, despite several bright moments from the Germans and individual near-breakthroughs from Banda.
The second half started in similar fashion for Zambia, as they found their deficit doubled when Germany’s Klara Bühl, unmarked at the edge of the box, fired the ball into the net.
Some relief came for the Copper Queens in the 49th minute when Banda pulled one back for her team. Seizing on a defensive blunder by goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, Banda pounced and scored from close range.
However, Banda’s heroics were short-lived as Schüller added her second goal in the 61st minute, extinguishing Zambian hopes.
In the dying moments of their Paris 2024 run, Zambia’s agony was compounded when Elisa Senss added a fourth goal for Germany in injury time, sealing their fate.
While Zambia packs their bags, Germany now looks ahead to the quarterfinals, where they will face Canada.
The quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, August 3, as the remaining eight teams continue their pursuit of Olympic gold.
Starting XIs
Germany: Berger, Gwinn, Hendrich, Schulze-Solano, Rauch, Brand, Minge, Popp, Bühl, Nüsken, Schüller
Zambia: Musole, Siamfuko, Zulu, Mweemba, Tembo, Nachula, Chanda, Lubandji, Kundananji, Mupopo, Banda
Featured image courtesy of Steffen Prößdorf via Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.
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