Morocco historically misses out on qualification, Zambia qualifies

Despite overwhelming possession, the Atlas Lionesses were unable to secure a victory.

After qualifying for the historic 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Morocco were aiming to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But they faced a determined Zambian team who are keen to join Nigeria and 10 other teams in the French capital this summer.

what happened?

Zambia defeated Morocco in an exhilarating match at Rabat's Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Tuesday to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The match ended with Zambia winning 2-0 and leading 3-2 on aggregate.

A thrilling match began with both teams looking to take an early lead.

However, the game remained deadlocked at 0-0 for most of the first 30 minutes. Zambia forward Barbra Banda broke the deadlock and gave her side the lead in the match in the 38th minute.

In the second half, the Moroccan team took control and took numerous shots on goal. However, despite having the upper hand on the field, they were unable to convert their chances.

The match ended in a stalemate, but team captain Banda converted a penalty kick during extra time to score the second goal, clinching victory for Zambia.

This gave Copper Queens a 2-0 win over Morocco, securing a 3-2 aggregate lead.

Morocco won the first qualifying match 2-1 and grabbed an early advantage.

tough olympic group

Zambia are officially one of the 12 teams taking part in the summer soccer tournament, and are in Group B alongside three women's soccer powerhouses: USA, Australia and Germany.

The schedule sees them play the USWNT in Nice on July 25th, followed by Australia on July 28th, also in Nice, and conclude the group stage with a match against Germany in Saint-Etienne on July 31st. .

Bruce Mwape has a wealth of players at his disposal who featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

From Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananzi to Grace Chanda and Rushomo Mwemba, Coach Mwape has plenty of options.

Banda and Kundananji have been a highlight of women's soccer in recent months as they traveled to the United States to compete in the NWSL.

By joining Bay FC, the latter became the most expensive female footballer in history.

Mwape believed the two matches against Morocco would be complicated, but insisted his players were capable of winning and qualifying for a second successive Olympics.

Teams that have qualified – Paris 2024 Olympics

Before the international break in April, 10 teams managed to secure a spot in the soccer tournament for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The last two slots were in Africa. Joining Zambia in Paris was Nigeria's Super Falcons.

Nigeria defeated South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Summer Olympics.

Rashidat Ajibade scored a penalty in the first qualifying leg in Abuja on Friday.

Although the second match against South Africa ended goalless, this goal was enough for the Super Falcons to earn Africa a ticket to the women's soccer competition at the Paris Olympics.

The last time Nigeria's Super Falcons competed in the Olympics was 16 years ago.

key take

• Obtained consecutive qualifications for the Olympics.
• Nigeria joins Zambia as the second team to qualify for Africa.
• This is Nigeria's first Olympic qualification since Beijing in 2008.
• Barbra Banda scored Zambia's two goals on the night.
• Morocco failed to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in history.

Here is the complete list of the 12 teams that qualified:

• France (host country)
• America
• Brazil
• Columbia
• Canada (title holder)
• new zealand
• Australia
• Japan
• Spain
• Germany
• Nigeria
• Zambia