Zambia’s Copper Queens secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal in their second Group A fixture at the 2024 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The win placed Zambia on the second position in in the Group with 4 points , same number of points with host Morocco who have better goal difference on top of the group.
The game exploded into life in just the 5th minute as Senegal’s Nguenar Ndiaye broke the deadlock, handing the West Africans an early lead.
But Zambia responded quickly and emphatically. In the 12th minute, Racheal Kundananji linked up with captain Barbra Banda, who calmly slotted home her second goal of the tournament to make it 1-1.
The Copper Queens nearly took the lead in the 31st minute, but Prisca Chilufya’s powerful effort was expertly tipped out for a corner by Senegalese goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye.
Drama continued late in the first half as Senegal’s Bineta Seck received a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Martha Tembo. Zambia thought they had scored again before halftime through Banda, but her goal was ruled out, leaving the sides level at the break.
Six minutes after the restart, Zambia finally grabbed the lead as Kundananji turned from provider to scorer, smashing home to make it 2-1..
Senegal’s frustration grew in the 55th minute when calls for a penalty were waved away by Togolese referee Vincentia Amedome. The situation escalated when Zambia’s coach Nora Hauptle was shown a yellow card for dissent.
Despite a double substitution by Senegal in the 60th minute, Zambia extended their advantage. In the 73rd minute, Adji Ndiaye parried a powerful effort from Kundananji, only for Barbra Banda to tap in the rebound for her second of the night, putting the Copper Queens 3-1 up.
Nguenar Ndiaye gave Senegal hope in the 80th minute with her second goal, reducing the deficit to 3-2, but Zambia held firm through a tense finale, including over 11 minutes of added time.
The final whistle confirmed a vital win for Zambia, who now sit top of Group A and look well on course for a place in the knockout stages.