Zambia’s Copper Queens emphatically demonstrated their ambition at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, securing a pulsating 3-2 victory over a resilient Senegal in a captivating Group A encounter on Wednesday.
The match, held at Stade El Bachir in Mohammedia, was an end-to-end spectacle marked by powerful finishing and moments of individual brilliance.
After a frustrating 2-2 draw against hosts Morocco in their opening fixture, Zambia arrived desperate for three points – and they certainly made it count, holding their nerve after twice being threatened by a determined Senegalese side.
Despite Zambia’s hunger, it was Senegal who struck first, catching the Copper Queens off-guard inside five minutes.
Nguenar Ndiaye, a star from the Lionesses’ dominant 4-0 win over DR Congo, latched onto a through ball from Méta Kandé and coolly finished past goalkeeper Ng’ambo Musole, stunning the perceived title contenders.
Zambia, however, responded swiftly. Captain Barbra Banda, a constant menace to the Senegalese defence, brought the Copper Queens level in the 12th minute, rifling a shot into the top corner after a slick assist from Racheal Kundananji.
The relentless tempo continued throughout the first half, but it wasn’t until six minutes into the second period that Zambia edged ahead.
This time, Kundananji turned scorer, showing poise in the box to convert and hand her side a 2-1 lead. Banda then extended Zambia’s advantage in the 73rd minute with her second goal of the night, reacting fastest to a corner and firing home from close range.
Senegal were handed a lifeline seven minutes later when Ndiaye was brought down in the area. She dusted herself off to calmly convert the resulting penalty, making it 3-2 and setting up a frenetic finale.
Despite relentless pressure from the West Africans in added time – including a flurry of corners and blocked attempts – Zambia held firm, with Musole producing crucial saves to preserve the result.
The hard-fought win lifts Zambia to four points in Group A, placing them level with hosts Morocco. Senegal, who had been eyeing early qualification, must now regroup quickly ahead of their final group match in what has become a highly competitive pool.
