Despite suffering a 1-0 loss, the Zambia under-17 women’s national team eliminated Tanzania from the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers at Dar Es Salaam on Sunday evening.
The Copper Princesses, who thrashed the Tanzanian girls 5-0 at home last weekend, did not score, but their aggregate lead was enough to send them to the next round.
The Serengeti Girls were desperate to overcome the first-leg deficit, and Melkia Juma scored in the third minute of play. However, Zambia’s defenders held firm and prevented them from scoring any further, resulting in a 1-0 scoreline.
The Copper Princesses will now face Uganda in the next phase for a spot in the fourth and final round, where they will face either Morocco or Algeria.
READ MORE: Ex-400-meter athletics gold medalist returns to the Copper Queens squad after ten years
Zambia is aiming to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Meanwhile, only three African countries will qualify for the World Cup, which will be hosted in the Dominican Republic from October 16 to November 3, 2024.