Zambia Edge Past Congo DR to secure knockout stage qualification
Racheal Kundananji's early strike proved decisive as Zambia claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Congo DR in their TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations Group A on Saturday, 12 July.
The Copper Queens took the lead in the 9th minute when Kundananji stepped up and curled a low free kick beyond the outstretched arms of Ruth Khonde, igniting the home crowd at the Stade el Bachir.
Zambia dominated possession for large spells and created numerous opportunities to double their advantage. Barbra Banda and Prisca Chilufya both came close in the closing stages, with Banda seeing multiple headers miss narrowly in added time.
DR Congo, meanwhile, showed resilience despite being reduced to ten players in the 69th minute. A VAR review saw Falonne Pambani's yellow card upgraded to red following a dangerous challenge on Ireen Lungu, further complicating the visitors' hopes of a comeback.
Ng'ambo Musole stood firm between the posts for Zambia, making crucial saves to deny DR Congo's Anastasia Soulac and Merveille Kanjinga, whose efforts were some of the few bright sparks for the visitors.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, DR Congo pushed forward late on, forcing corners and half-chances, but lacked the clinical edge needed to find the equaliser.
The result sees Zambia advance to the next round of the competition while the Central Africans see the campaign come to an end.
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