Zambia’s Copper Queens secured a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo to finish second in Group A and book their place in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Racheal Kundananji who was named player of the match opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a brilliant free kick, marking her third goal of the tournament and giving Nora Häuptle’s side an early lead.

The Copper Queens had several chances to extend their advantage in the first half, but lacked the finishing touch. Attempts from Kundananji, Barbra Banda, and Fridah Mukoma failed to find the back of the net, despite Zambia’s dominance in the attacking third.

Zambia went into halftime 1-0 up and maintained control in the second half. Debutant Mercy Chipasula showed flashes of promise but struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Evenly matched second half

DR Congo head coach Herve Happy made four substitutions in an attempt to spark a comeback, including bringing on Aimeraude Mawanda and later introducing Sarah Yasongamo, Falonne Pambani, and Anastasia Soulac.

However, Pambani’s outing was short-lived. Just seven minutes after coming on, she was sent off for a high boot that caught Ireen Lungu in the face. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to a red following a VAR review.

Taking advantage of the extra player, Häuptle introduced Prisca Chilufya and Evarine Katongo for Chipasula and Lungu in the 70th and 71st minutes respectively. Despite Zambia pushing for a second goal, they couldn’t convert their chances. DR Congo also had moments of danger, but the Zambian defense—marshalled by Lushomo Mweemba and Mapalo Maluba—remained composed to preserve the clean sheet.

Late in the game, Häuptle made her final changes, replacing the solid Racheal Nachula with Kabange Mupopo and bringing on Martha Tembo for Mukoma.

Meanwhile, in the other Group A fixture, Morocco edged Senegal 1-0 thanks to a goal from Yasmin Mrabet. Both Morocco and Zambia finished on seven points, but Morocco topped the group on superior goal difference.

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