Banda bags four as Zambia thrash Egypt by six to kick off WAFCON campaign in style

[p]In an opening period largely dominated by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zambia/rmKdcHAi/"]Zambia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/banda-barbra/SriyfOdh/"]Banda[/a] repeatedly burst into the box. On two occasions, the Orlando striker was denied by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shehata-maha/6B2PSqSC/"]Maha Shehata[/a], who made saves from a cross and then from an opportunistic shot inside the box, whilst she was unmarked at the near post.[/p][p]Banda was again on the receiving end of a cross from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mweemba-lushomo/Kbwsa5k2/"]Lushomo Mweemba[/a], but her attempt was blocked by the Egyptian defence in the 14th minute. [/p][p]Soon after, a very dangerous challenge by Shehata on Banda left both players on the ground. Whilst the Zambian captain eventually got back to her feet, the Egyptian captain took a blow to the shoulder before gritting her teeth to carry on.[/p][p]After 23 minutes, Zambia came very close to opening the scoring from a cross by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kundananji-racheal/v7zae1ae/"]Racheal Kundananji[/a], which flew just over the head of Banda as she threw herself forward to meet it in the centre.[/p][p]The Copper Queens were eventually awarded a penalty after a fairly blatant shirt-pull by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amira-mohamed/hzX6OLpC/"]Amira Mohamed[/a] on Banda inside the box as she was outpacing her. [/p][p][b]From the penalty spot, the Zambian team’s veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nachula-racheal/IDnAuoJ5/"]Racheal Nachula[/a] sent the Egyptian keeper the wrong way to grab a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. [/b][/p][p]During the incident, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ashraf-thoraya/6T3HRKP8/"]Thoraya Ashraf[/a] was injured and had to be carried off on a stretcher, in tears.[/p][image alt="Zambia thrashed Egypt" id="9f6e81cf-4ea2-4cf8-8230-8274eb3a25d5" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="dc334ab3-203f-46ba-8bd7-e4cc739de01c" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Zambia had a chance to double their lead straight away, with a ball from Kundananji aimed at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chanda-grace/0Gyedspk/"]Grace Chanda[/a]’s head. It was cleared by the Egyptian defence, and Kundananji attempted a volley on the edge of the box, but it went over the bar.[/p][p]In a rare chance for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/vLNvoHTJ/"]Egypt[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nali-hazel/4hR9x9jr/"]Hazel Nali[/a] won the aerial duel against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/essam-habiba/zguwUls2/"]Habiba Essam[/a], who landed awkwardly on her back. Chanda then broke on the counter-attack and drove into the centre before firing wide with her shot as she ran out of steam.[/p][p]Shortly before the break, Banda created three more chances, but, unable to rely on support from her teammates further back, she was denied by the Egyptian goalkeeper and her defence.[/p][p]From yet another corner, Banda rose highest to meet the ball with a header, hoping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chilufya-prisca/jw9wxziS/"]Prisca Chilufya[/a] would turn it in at the far post. But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mahira-ali/MXHbiBKF/"]Ali Mahira[/a] and then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salama-christina/niZ2vwKk/"]Christina Salama[/a] threw themselves in to help their goalkeeper, who was once again left on the ground.[/p][h2]Banda scores twice in three minutes, then adds two more[/h2][p]After the break, Zambia appeared less ambitious despite their narrow 1-0 lead, and Banda’s rare forays into the opposition’s box were quickly repelled by long balls played into space.[/p][p]Chilufya tried her luck from distance with a right-footed cross-shot aimed to lob Shehata, but the keeper stretched to make the save. The referee was eventually called upon by VAR for a blatant handball by Mohamed.[/p][p][b]The penalty was confirmed and powerfully converted by Banda, making it two goals from the spot for Zambia, and 2-0 at the hour mark.[/b][/p][p]Banda scored her second goal straight away: completely left unmarked by the defence down the right flank, Chilufya had only to cross for her captain to meet it with her head.[/p][p][b]The Orlando striker threw herself forward to head the ball down into the net and make it 3-0. [/b][/p][embed guid="7200cc44-6d80-400b-87fd-f3ec75b501b1" url="https://x.com/CAFwomen/status/2082179805588423160" social-type="twitter" /][p]Chanda burst into the box and outmanoeuvred the Egyptian defence before coming up against Shehata; then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/phiri-eneless/pnoNWfwK/"]Eneless Phiri[/a], who had come on at the hour, missed with a volley that sailed over the crossbar.[/p][p]Soon after, another Zambian corner went unclaimed in the box, and Mohamed collapsed inside the area, appealing for a foul.[/p][p]Shehata produced yet another superb save, palming away a floated shot from Nachula that was heading under the crossbar. However, she appeared to pick up another injury in the process. She managed to get back to her feet and once again saved a close-range effort from Phiri soon after.[/p][p]Banda finally completed her hat-trick after a corner was parried by Shehata, then headed back by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/katongo-evarine/0KKIzmLf/"]Evarine Katongo[/a], who failed to hit the target.[/p][p][b]At the far post, the captain threw herself forward and opened her foot to fire a powerful shot across goal, making it 4-0 and putting the game beyond reach.[/b][/p][p]Zambia then went on to add a fifth and sixth goal before the final whistle. [/p][p][b]F[/b][b]ollowing an assist from Banda, Phiri unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box to beat Shehata. [/b][/p][p]And Banda went on to score the sixth after a cut-back cross from Kundananji. [b]She was picked out at the near post and opened her foot well to slot the ball between the post and the goalkeeper, who had failed to close down the angle.[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="0800b3ac-4a37-433b-a2c0-52251435ef17" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="2da323ae-2858-4399-9f25-2682cc2228ab" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The win represents Zambia's biggest ever victory in a WAFCON tournament. The Copper Queens, who reached the quarter-finals at the 2024 edition and finished third at the 2022 one, deservedly take the lead in Group C, ahead of Tuesday's match between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/KbvGP3KC/"]Nigeria[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malawi/A3EAueis/"]Malawi[/a].[/p][p]With the huge margin, the Zambians also boost their goal difference massively, which could prove crucial in this rather tough group, which also includes the reigning champions, Nigeria.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/egypt-vLNvoHTJ/zambia-rmKdcHAi/summary/stats/?mid=xv7Xc7g2"]Catch up on all the match stats on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]