2023 WWC: Zambia spanked by ruthless Japan
Zambia got spanked 0-5 by a ruthless Japan female national in their opening group game of the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand .
A solid performance at the last Women’s Africa Cup of Nations plus the motivation from a pre-tournament friendly win over Germany did not count for Zambia as Japan dominated the game on Saturday July 22 at the Waikato Stadium in New Zealand.
Japan pressed early on for the opener with Mina Tanaka, Aoba Fujino , Yui Hasegawa, Fuka Nagano all testing the Zambian post in a one-sided game before Hinata Miyazawa finally got the breakthrough in the 43rd minute.
Miyazawa scored with right footed shot from a cross by teammate Aoba Fujino to give Japan a deserved 0-1 lead which they took into the break.
Japan began the second half even more ruthless than the first, this time they were more clinical to score four goals.
Enterprising Mina Tanaka had a goal cancelled in the 50th minute but five minutes later, her right footed shot graced the bottom right corner and this time stood to extend Japan’s lead.
Things got worse for Zambia when Hinata Miyazawa bagged her brace with a close range finish in the 62nd minute. Jun Endo made it 4-0 before Riko Ueki rounded off the rout from a penalty kick late-on.
A miserable evening for Zambia it was, one they finished with 10-players after Catherine Musonda was sent off following a second caution for the foul to gift Japan penalty for the 5th goal in the 7th minute of stoppage time.
So it ended Zambia 0-5 Japan. A disappointing FIFA Women’s World Cup debut for the African side.
