Copper Queens Held to 1-1 Draw by Botswana in FIFA Friendly
The Zambia women’s national team, popularly known as the Copper Queens, were held to a 1-1 draw by Botswana in an international friendly match played on Saturday afternoon at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria.
Despite dominating possession and registering more attempts on goal, the Copper Queens were left frustrated after a late equalizer denied them a winning start to the current FIFA international window.
First Half: Missed Opportunities and Disallowed Goal
The match began with Botswana showing early intent, but Zambia took control after six minutes. Grace Chanda came close to unlocking the defence with a brilliant pass to Barbra Banda, but goalkeeper Lesego Moeng was alert to the threat.
Zambia continued to press and thought they had taken the lead in the 22nd minute when Racheal Kundananji found the net with a powerful header. However, the goal was disallowed for a foul in the build-up.
At halftime, both teams had three goal attempts, but Zambia edged slightly ahead with one shot on target compared to Botswana’s none.
Second Half: Banda Strikes, Botswana Responds
Coach Nora Häuptle made a goalkeeper change at the break, introducing Mwila Mufunte for Catherine Musonda. The Copper Queens upped their tempo, with both Chanda and Kundananji hitting the woodwork in quick succession.
Midfield changes were made, with Prisca Chilufya giving way to Mercy Chipasula, who immediately added spark to Zambia’s attack.
The breakthrough came in the 67th minute. A superb move involving Nachalu, Chipasula, and Evarine Katongo ended with Barbra Banda capitalizing on a rebound to score her 58th international goal.
However, Botswana capitalized on a goalkeeping error in the 79th minute when Gaonyadiwe Ontlemetse slotted home the equalizer after Mufunte mishandled a cross into the box.
Häuptle’s Mixed Run Continues
The result extends coach Häuptle’s recent run to five games:
While Zambia has shown attacking promise, defensive lapses continue to cost them results.
Next: Banyana Banyana Clash Looms
Zambia will now turn their attention to a high-profile friendly against South Africa, the reigning WAFCON champions, on Tuesday. It will be the first meeting between the two nations since the dramatic 2022 WAFCON semifinal, which South Africa won 1-0 via a controversial late penalty.
The upcoming match is expected to be an intense test for the Copper Queens as they continue building towards the next WAFCON and Olympic qualifying campaigns.
