Zambia’s captain Barbra Banda delivered a stellar performance on her Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) debut, scoring and assisting in a thrilling 2-2 draw against hosts Morocco at the Stade Olympique in Rabat on Saturday night.
In what was the tournament opener for Group A, Banda wasted no time announcing her presence on the continental stage.
Just 58 seconds into the match, she unleashed a powerful low drive into the bottom corner, stunning the home crowd and giving Zambia a dream start.
Morocco responded swiftly. In the 12th minute, Najat Badri was brought down in the box by Grace Chanda, prompting a VAR review.
The referee awarded a penalty, and Ibtissam Jraïdi converted with a composed strike into the top corner to make it 1-1.
But Zambia were not done. In the 27th minute, Banda turned provider with a perfectly weighted through ball that split the Moroccan defence and found Racheal Kundananji, who calmly slotted past Khadija Er-Rmichi to restore Zambia’s lead.
Zambia went into the break with a 2-1 advantage, having looked sharper and more clinical in attack. Morocco, though dominant in possession, were let down by wasteful finishing from Fatima Tagnaout and Ghizlane Chebbak.
The second half saw the hosts press harder for an equaliser. Zambian goalkeeper Ng’ambo Musole made several key saves, including a crucial stop from a powerful Sanaâ Mssoudy shot.
With just three minutes left on the clock, Morocco finally broke through. Chebbak picked up the ball on the edge of the area and curled a superb strike into the top corner to level the score at 2-2, salvaging a point for the hosts.
The result ended a long-standing tradition — the first time since 2004 that a WAFCON host failed to win their opening match.
Despite the draw, Banda’s performance stood out. The Zambian skipper was named TotalEnergies Woman of the Match and received widespread praise for her leadership, pace, and attacking instinct.
“We still have a lot to improve, but this match shows that we are ready to fight until the end,” Banda said during the post-match press conference.
Zambia and Morocco now shift their focus to their upcoming group matches. Both teams will face Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the race to reach the quarterfinals.
With Banda already leaving a mark on her debut, the Copper Queens look poised to make a deep run in the tournament.
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