The Copper Princesses came from a goal down to beat Rwanda 2-1 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Wednesday to seal qualification to the second round of qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Zambia were stunned early in the contest when Rwanda took the lead through Sylvie Umwanankundi who curled a superb effort over the defence, catching goalkeeper Bukata Kakumbi flat-footed as the ball nestled in the top corner.
Rwanda briefly took control of the game, forcing quick corners and applying pressure in the opening exchanges, but could not extend their advantage.
Zambia responded by pushing high into Rwanda’s half through Grace Phiri and Elizabeth Mofya, though their momentum was twice halted by the offside flag.
The match developed into a seesaw battle, with Rwanda continuing to threaten while Zambia grew into the game. The Copper Princesses came close to equalising from a corner before Grace Phiri produced a brilliant run and set up Natasha Kasema, whose point blank effort was brilliantly saved.
At the restart, Zambia made a tactical adjustment, resting Elizabeth Mofya and introducing Lillian Mwenda to inject fresh attacking impetus.
Zambia returned with renewed purpose in the second half, driving forward aggressively but struggling with their finishing despite creating several chances.
The breakthrough came in the 74th minute, when Faith Kapulungu restored parity with a stunning strike from inside the box, a moment of real quality that reignited Zambia’s momentum, after being set up by Lilian Mwenda.
The Copper Princesses maintained the pressure and were eventually rewarded when Grace Phiri, a constant threat, was brought down in the box to win a penalty.
Natasha Kasema stepped up in the 82nd minute and confidently planted her effort beyond the reach of the Rwanda goalkeeper, sealing a hard-fought comeback victory.
Zambia marched on to the next round with a 4-1 aggregate win and will meet the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers
Zambia 2-1 Rwanda
(Faith Kajiya Kapilingo 74’, Natasha Kasema 82’ pen | Sylvie Umwanankundi 15’)
