July 26, (THEWILL) – Zambia’s dreams of advancing to the knockout rounds in the 2023 Women’s World Cup came to an end following a disappointing 5-0 defeat against Spain in their second Group C encounter in Auckland.
With this loss, the Copper Queens, along with Costa Rica, are the first teams to be knocked out of the competition, having failed to secure any points from their first two games. The African ladies had initial high hopes but struggled to keep up with the skill and precision of their opponents, leaving them to play for pride in their final match against Costa Rica.
Throughout the tournament, Zambia showed promise in their offensive play but has been notably vulnerable at the back when facing tough opposition. The absence of first-choice goalkeeper, Hazel Nali and key midfielder, Grace Chanda due, to pre-tournament injuries has certainly impacted the team’s performance. In their latest match against Spain, the European side dominated the game from the start, with Teresa Abelleira’s sensational 30-yard strike finding the back of the net in just nine minutes.
Jenni Hermoso, celebrating her 100th game for Spain, further extended their lead with an unmarked header four minutes later. Zambia made efforts to recover and continued to feed their pacy forward, Barbra Banda, with the right opportunities, but they struggled to break through Spain’s defence consistently. The Spanish team seemed to have scored a third goal through Hermoso, but VAR ruled her offside.
Nevertheless, Spain managed to score twice more in the second half, with substitute Alba Redondo rounding the Zambian goalkeeper, Eunice Sakala, before slotting home, and Hermoso eventually receiving her second goal of the night after a lengthy VAR review. The 5-0 defeat leaves Zambia with much to ponder, as they face their final match against Costa Rica before returning home.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
