Zambia demonstrated their quest to fight for the title at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a pulsating 3-2 victory over Senegal in Group A on Wednesday at Stade El Bachir in Mohammedia.
In a contest marked by end-to-end drama, powerful finishing, and moments of individual brilliance, the Copper Queens held their nerve to claim all three points after twice being threatened by a resilient Senegalese side.
After a frustrating 2-2 draw in their opening match against hosts Morocco, Zambia arrived desperate for a win—and they made it count.
Yet it was Senegal who struck first, catching Zambia off-guard inside five minutes.
Nguenar Ndiaye, one of the stars of the Lionesses’ 4-0 win over DR Congo, latched onto a through ball from Méta Kandé and coolly finished past goalkeeper Ng’ambo Musole to stun the title contenders.
Zambia, however, responded swiftly. Captain Barbra Banda brought the Copper Queens level in the 12th minute, rifling into the top corner after a slick assist from Racheal Kundananji.
The tempo remained relentless throughout the first half, but it wasn’t until six minutes into the second period that Zambia edged ahead. Kundananji turned scorer this time, showing poise in the box to convert and hand her side a 2-1 lead.
Banda, who had terrorised the Senegalese defence all game, extended Zambia’s lead in the 73rd minute with her second 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 and dusted herself off to convert the 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 key saves to preserve the result.
The win lifts Zambia to four points in Group A, while Senegal, who had been eyeing early qualification, must now regroup ahead of their final group match.
For the Copper Queens, this was a statement of intent—a reminder that the sdie filled with top players are keen on fighting for the title.
FULL TIME | Zambia 3-2 Senegal (Barbra Banda 12′, 73′ , Kundananji 51′ | Ndiaye 5′)
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