Sports

WWC: Zambia taught footballing lesson as Japan put five past Copper Queens

Published

9 months ago

July 22, 2023

It was a day to forget for the Zambian female national team at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as former champions, Japan romped to a 5-0 win over the Coach Bruce Mwape-tutored Copper Queens.

In the Group C match played on Saturday at the Waikato Stadium, Japan taught the Africans making their first appearance at the world stage a football lesson with a slick display of pass-and-move football producing three quick goals before the 77th-ranked Zambian ladies could settle down.

Japanese striker, Hinata Miyazawa scored twice and fellow forward Mina Tanaka found the net in the second half after having two earlier efforts called back for offside by VAR.

In the 71st minute, winger Jun Endo added the fourth and substitute Riko Ueki rounded up the pounding of the hapless Zambian ladies with the fifth goal from a penalty in stoppage time after Zambia goalkeeper Catherine Musonda had been red carded following reciept of two yellow cards.

Throughout the duration of the match, Zambia struggled to find its footing in its World Cup debut with star striker and captain, Barbra Banda isolated upfront and given tight attention by three Japanese defenders for much of the game, and ended the match without a single shot on target.

With the win, Japan, winners of the 2011 World Cup and runners-up in 2015,
joins Spain, who beat Costa Rica 3-0 in Wellington on Friday, at the top of Group C ahead of their second match of the tournament against the Central Americans in Dunedin on Wednesday.

In the post match interview, Coach Mwape said:

“We have not played well this evening. It’s not the end of the world, I’m sure we can still come back and fight for a qualification spot.”

But with zero points and a five-goal deficit, it remains to be seen if the Copper Queens can make it out of the group with matches against tournament favourites, Spain and Costa Rica still to come.

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.