Barbra Banda turns Egypt defence into a four-goal sightseeing tour as Zambia run riot in Rabat Zambia captain Barbra Banda apparently arrived at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday with a simple opening-day checklist: captain Zambia, score goals, create goals, terrorise defenders and make sure the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco […]

Barbra Banda turns Egypt defence into a four-goal sightseeing tour as Zambia run riot in Rabat

Zambia captain Barbra Banda apparently arrived at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday with a simple opening-day checklist: captain Zambia, score goals, create goals, terrorise defenders and make sure the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 knew the Copper Queens had entered the building and personally make sure Egypt had an evening they would prefer not to discuss on the flight home.

RABAT, Morocco, 29 July – She ticked every box.

The Copper Queens captain produced a spectacular four-goal performance as Zambia opened their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 campaign by dismantling Egypt 6-0 in Rabat.

By the time the final whistle rescued Egypt from further administrative duties, Banda had scored four goals, provided an assist and been directly involved in five of Zambia’s six. Zambia, meanwhile, had collected three points, six goals and enough confidence to fill several overhead compartments.

The emphatic victory sent the Copper Queens to the top of Group C and delivered an early warning to everyone else in the tournament: Zambia did not travel to Morocco to admire the architecture.

According to CAF’s match report, Banda began causing trouble almost immediately. In the eighth minute, she threatened to break through before Egypt’s goalkeeper raced off her line to deny her.

It was an early intervention. It would not become a permanent solution.

Egypt briefly reminded Zambia that football matches traditionally involve two attacking teams when Nadin Ghazy tried her luck from distance six minutes later. Zambia goalkeeper Natasha Nali gathered comfortably, presumably grateful for the opportunity to participate in proceedings.

Zambia quickly returned to business.

In the 22nd minute, Racheal Kundananji sent a header narrowly wide with the goalkeeper beaten. It was another indication that Egypt’s defensive department was about to experience an extremely long evening.

The breakthrough eventually arrived after Banda was brought down inside the penalty area. Nachula stepped forward and calmly converted the resulting spot kick to give Zambia a deserved 1-0 lead.

At halftime, Egypt still had reasons for optimism. They were only one goal behind.

Unfortunately for them, Zambia also returned for the second half.

Margaret Belemu nearly doubled the advantage in the 53rd minute after creating space inside the box, but her effort was well saved.

Five minutes later, VAR entered the conversation.

Prisca Chilufya’s cross struck the hand of Amira Mohamed, prompting a review and the award of Zambia’s second penalty. Banda took responsibility this time and confidently dispatched the spot kick for her first goal of the tournament.

That made it 2-0.

Then Banda apparently decided one goal was insufficient paperwork for a captain.

Moments later, she met another inviting delivery from Chilufya and converted to make it 3-0, leaving Zambia firmly in control and Egypt searching for answers that were increasingly unlikely to arrive before the final whistle.

The Copper Queens continued attacking rather than politely protecting their advantage.

In the 86th minute, Egypt failed to properly clear the ball and Banda punished them again, producing a composed volley from inside the area to complete her hat-trick.

At 4-0, she could reasonably have considered her work finished.

She did not.

Banda then switched from scorer to supplier, showing excellent awareness to set up substitute Eneless Phiri, who finished clinically for Zambia’s fifth goal.

At this stage, the scoreboard was beginning to look less like match information and more like an official complaint.

Still, Banda wanted the final word.

She added her fourth goal in the closing stages with a neat finish, completing a remarkable individual performance and sealing Zambia’s 6-0 victory.

Four goals. One assist. Five direct goal involvements.

There are captain’s performances, and then there are evenings when the captain appears to have accidentally selected “beginner difficulty.”

The four-goal haul also moved Banda to the top of the tournament’s scoring charts and ensured Zambia began their Group C campaign in emphatic fashion.

The result gives the Copper Queens a perfect opening to their WAFCON campaign and sends them into Saturday’s heavyweight meeting with reigning champions Nigeria carrying confidence, momentum and a captain who has already discovered where the goals are kept.

That encounter should provide a much sterner examination of Zambia’s title ambitions.

Nigeria will certainly have taken notes.

One imagines the first line reads: Keep an eye on Banda.

The second probably reads: Seriously, keep an eye on Banda.

Egypt, meanwhile, must regroup ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Malawi, where they will attempt to restart their campaign after an opening match in which Zambia took three points, six goals and virtually all the available headlines and the immediate priority may simply be ensuring nobody accidentally presses replay.

For Zambia, though, the message from Rabat could hardly have been louder.

The Copper Queens have arrived.

And their captain did not bother knocking.

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