Banda blitz, Chilufya strike not enough…as Zambia misses out knock-out stage on tiebreakers

Banda blitz, Chilufya strike not enough…as Zambia misses out knock-out stage on tiebreakers ZAMBIA’s national women’s football team suffered a heartbreaking group-stage exit from the tournament. Despite finishing the group stage with a solid tally of six points, the Copper Queens missed out on the quarter-finals after Malawi and Nigeria progressed from Group C due […]

Banda blitz, Chilufya strike not enough
…as Zambia misses out knock-out stage on tiebreakers

ZAMBIA’s national women’s football team suffered a heartbreaking group-stage exit from the tournament.

Despite finishing the group stage with a solid tally of six points, the Copper Queens missed out on the quarter-finals after Malawi and Nigeria progressed from Group C due to tournament tiebreaker rules.

The Copper Queens launched into the match with ultimate intent, taking the lead inside the opening 60 seconds:

Skipper Barbra Banda unleashed a fierce, long-range strike to score within the first minute.

The stunning goal marked Banda’s fifth strike of the competition, cementing her status as the tournament’s leading goalscorer.

Zambia kept their foot on the gas and continually threatened the Malawian defense throughout the opening period:

In the 18th minute, Irene Lungu curled a precise free-kick that looked destined for the net, only for Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo to pull off a crucial save.

The relentless pressure paid off eight minutes before halftime.

Right-back Margaret Belemu delivered a perfect cutback into the box, finding forward Prisca Chilufya, who calmly slotted the ball home for a 2-0 lead.

The dynamic shifted after the interval as goal difference became the defining factor for knockout qualification:

Malawi pulled a goal back in the second half, completely shifting the momentum and setting up a frantic, high-stakes finale.

Both sides traded clear-cut opportunities in the dying minutes.

Zambia pushed extra bodies forward in a desperate search for more goals, knowing their tournament survival depended heavily on a wider goal margin.

Ultimately, the 2-1 scoreline stood until the final whistle.

While the Copper Queens walked away with all three points on the night, the narrow victory was not enough to keep their WAFCON campaign alive, forcing an early departure from the tournament. – ALENDO SPORTS