Copper Queens Beat Uganda 4-1, Advance in Olympic Qualifiers

Zambia’s Copper Queens kept their dream of a third consecutive Olympic appearance alive after overturning a first-leg deficit to beat Uganda 4-1 in Ndola and advance 5-3 on aggregate to the next round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers.

The victory at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Tuesday night sets up a third-round meeting with Ghana, who progressed after defeating Mauritius 10-0 on aggregate.

Having lost the first leg 2-1 in Kampala, Zambia needed a strong response on home soil and delivered with goals from Natasha Nanyangwe, Eneless Phiri and a second-half brace from captain Barbra Banda.

Nanyangwe gave the Copper Queens the perfect start in the eighth minute, heading home Phiri’s corner to put Zambia ahead.

Uganda’s Crested Cranes responded six minutes later when Sylvia Kabene capitalised on a defensive lapse involving Lushomo Mweemba before beating goalkeeper Hazel Nali.

Zambia regained the lead in the 20th minute when Phiri finished off a pass from Prisca Chilufya, restoring momentum for the hosts.

The Copper Queens went into the break with a narrow advantage on the night but still needed more goals to turn the tie around.

Banda delivered six minutes into the second half, taking advantage of a goalkeeping error to make it 3-1 and put Zambia ahead on aggregate.

The captain then settled the contest in the 83rd minute, finishing Racheal Kundananji’s cross to complete her brace and seal Zambia’s passage to the next round.

The performance marked a response to Zambia’s disappointing first-leg display and restored momentum to the team’s campaign.

Head coach Charles Haalubono praised the players’ determination, saying their performance showed how strongly they wanted to qualify.

“They really did well today. It shows they really want to qualify,” he said. “If we keep playing like this, we can keep dreaming.”

Uganda assistant coach Collins Ahumuza acknowledged Zambia’s performance but said his side struggled to manage the match, particularly in the first half.

The Copper Queens will now turn their attention to Ghana as they continue their bid to reach a third consecutive Olympic Games, having appeared at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

The next tie will be another important test as Zambia works towards securing a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Photo Source, Football Association of Zambia