COPPER Queens gave Zambia a reason to smile in their dreams bringing joy to different households and it would not be a surprise if fruits start coming out after nine months in some marriages as fans celebrated the 3-2 win against Senegal in a heart-thumping Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) 2024 clash.
Zambia’s win temporarily pushed them to the summit of Group A only for Morocco to spoil the party later in the evening with their dominant display against the struggling Congolese side with a 4-2 victory to top the group with a goal difference.
As usual, it was the familiar faces of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji who terrorised Senegal’s defenders.
In fact, they even maintained their scoring order from the previous match, Barbra with the opener, to level things up after Senegal scored early in the match, followed by Kundananji doing what she does best, firing rockets past terrified goalkeepers before Barbra sealed her brace.
The Copper Queens’ goal machine, Kundananji, did not just score but also walked off the pitch carrying the Woman of the Match award, just as Banda did in the last game.
During the post match interviews, Kundananji revealed that her primary goal was to help the team play unitedly with the ultimate goal of the trophy rather than outshining anyone for the sake of individual glory.
She said she was proud of what the team had accomplished in terms of uniting and communicating on the pitch as they continue to cause terror as the Banda-Kundananji duo.
“I promised myself to say I’m not going to be an individual player. This is not the time to make my name; my name is already [out] there, so right now is to help my team and be there [as] a team player and that’s what I’m doing,” Kundananji stated.
While Senegal’s Lionesses came out roaring with an early lead in the first half, the Queens were too smart and too hungry for victory.
Now, all eyes are on Zambia’s next match against DR Congo, a team that has already been reduced to training cones by both Senegal and Morocco after conceding four goals to each team.
Despite missing out on the top spot for now, the Copper Queens remain firmly in the race for the knockout stages as they prepare to face DR Congo in their final group match, a game many believe will be a routine win for Zambia given Congo’s poor showing so far.
But like they say, a team with nothing to lose can be stubborn as a horse being forced to drink water. However, the Nora Hauptle’s team seem to have everything under control so far.
By George Musonda
Kalemba July 10, 2025
