Zambia have qualified for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) on away goal after they played a 1-1 draw with Namibia at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday.
Namibia took an early lead on six minutes when their captain Emma Naris headed in a corner, before substitute Siomala Mapepa netted the important equalizer with just 20 minutes left on the regular time.
The Copper Queens have now qualified for the fourth time, first in 1995 where they reached the quarterfinals, before crashing out in the group stage in 2014 and will be making their first appearance since the 2018 edition held in Ghana.
The qualification will keep their hope of making debut FIFA World Cup appearance, following their excellent display at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year (debut appearance).
The Cup of Nations will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with the four semi-finalists automatically sealing their place at the global showpiece.
MOLATsportgist 