Zambia secured the top spot in Group B of the 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after hammering Togo 4-1 on Saturday.
Two goals by captain Grace Chanda at the Stade Prince Moulay EL Hassan in Rabat helped them to the emphatic victory to finish top of the group.
In between the goals of Chanda, Ireen Lungu and Xiomara Mapepa scored for the Copper Queens to get the convincing win with Mafille Woedikou getting the consolation for Togo.
The margin of the victory could have been wider as the Zambians fluffed early chances and the Togolese goalkeeper Ame Amouklou produced some fantastic saves including Lushomo Mweemba’s third minute penalty to prevent the southern Africans.
The result means Zambian finished top of the group with seven points while Togo remain rooted at the bottom with one point and crashed out of the competition in Morocco.
Cameroon will join Zambia in the quarter-finals as they finished second in the group with five points following their 1-0 win over Tunisia in the group’s other game.
The Copper Queens looked destined to top the group at the start of the match in Rabat as they replicated their form in the tournament by dominating their opponents.
It was no surprise when an under pressure Togo defender fouled an opponent in the box after just three minutes forcing the referee to award a penalty.
Mweemba’s powerful spot kick was expertly parried away by Amouklou who was in top form in the early parts of the game by denying Zambia several decent scoring opportunities.
Despite the heroics of the Togolese goalkeeper Chanda managed to break the deadlock in the 15th minute when she beat three defenders before rounding the Amouklou.
Lungu’s long range effort six minutes later extended Zambia’s lead before Woedikou’s strike from a distance restored some hope for Togo.
Just before the break Mapepa squeezed in from a tight angle and Chanda’s header on the hour mark sealed the impressive victory.
Zambia will now face Senegal in the quarter-finals as the latter finished second in Group A.
Winners of the quarter-final matches will secure qualification to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Two losers of the quarter-finals will have another chance to secure qualification as they will be engaged in inter-continental playoffs.
