Zambia shocked the home crowd at Stade Olympique when Barbra Banda fired a powerful shot past the Moroccan goalkeeper. The striker found space outside the penalty area and drilled the ball into the bottom corner after just one minute. Margaret Belemu started the lightning-fast counter attack that caught Morocco completely off guard. The visitors looked dangerous and ready to cause major problems for the tournament hosts. Banda celebrated wildly as thousands of Moroccan fans fell silent.
Morocco fought back hard and earned a penalty kick after Najat Badri went down inside the box. Grace Chanda fouled the Moroccan player and the referee pointed to the spot after checking the video replay. Ibtissam Jraïdi stepped up calmly and buried her shot into the top corner to level the match. The home team celebrated loudly as their supporters roared back to life. Both teams traded chances as the first half continued at a frantic pace.
Banda turned from scorer to provider when she sliced through the Moroccan defense with a perfect pass. Racheal Kundananji received the ball and finished coolly past goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. Zambia led 2-1 at halftime despite Morocco creating several good scoring opportunities. The home team missed chances through Fatima Tagnaout and other attacking players. Goalkeeper Ng'ambo Musole made key saves to keep Zambia ahead until Ghizlane Chebbak struck a brilliant equalizer with three minutes remaining.
Morocco fought back hard and earned a penalty kick after Najat Badri went down inside the box. Grace Chanda fouled the Moroccan player and the referee pointed to the spot after checking the video replay. Ibtissam Jraïdi stepped up calmly and buried her shot into the top corner to level the match. The home team celebrated loudly as their supporters roared back to life. Both teams traded chances as the first half continued at a frantic pace.
Banda turned from scorer to provider when she sliced through the Moroccan defense with a perfect pass. Racheal Kundananji received the ball and finished coolly past goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. Zambia led 2-1 at halftime despite Morocco creating several good scoring opportunities. The home team missed chances through Fatima Tagnaout and other attacking players. Goalkeeper Ng'ambo Musole made key saves to keep Zambia ahead until Ghizlane Chebbak struck a brilliant equalizer with three minutes remaining.
