Copper Queens make history

…as Zambia humiliate Angola to qualify for third consecutive WAFCON

By MICHAEL MIYOBA

THE Copper Queens made the nation proud last night by qualifying for a third consecutive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations WAFCON after humiliating Angola 12-0 on aggregate to earn a spot at the Morocco 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. 

The Queens beat Angola 6-0 in the second leg of the final qualifying round played at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola thanks to a brace from Rachel Kundananji and goals apiece from Rachel Nachula, Barbra Banda, Avel Chitundu and Esther Banda to make it for a historical third consecutive WAFCON appearance. 

The Bruce Mwape-drilled Copper Queens, who had beaten Angola 6-0 in Luanda a week ago outclassed their regional rivals who needed to score seven unanswered goals to qualify for the WAFCON.

The Copper Queens outplayed Angola from the first whistle and it took them just four minutes to score before the cheering home fans who had covered 60 percent of the 50, 000-seater capacity stadium.

Kundananji broke the deadlock after benefitting from Angola’s clumsy mistake from the goal keeper Maria Muecalia.   

Ten minutes later captain Barbra Banda doubled the advantage beating Muecalia with a low strike from close range off a Rachel Nachula’s assist.

In the first minute of the second half, Susan Banda scored a brilliant long-range strike to make it 3-0 for the Copper Queens.

Ndola-based striker Chitundu, who plays for Zesco Ndola Girls FC scored the fourth goal of the night after taking advantage of Angola’s ball watching defenders to send the fans into a frenzy. 

Six minutes later, Esther Banda made things worse for the visitors when she beat the goal keeper with a low shot from Barbra Banda’s assist.

Banda turned from scorer to assist when her defence splitting pass found Kundananji who was able to beat her marker before completing her brace with a left footed strike in the 88th minute to complete the rout.