Orange Lionesses of Netherlands thrashe Copper Queens of Zambia 10-3 in the Group F Olympic football opener in Tokyo, Japan.
By Muhyideen Jimoh
The Orange Lionesses of Netherlands on Wednesday thrashed the Copper Queens of Zambia 10-3 in the Group F Olympic football opener in Tokyo, Japan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zambia who are Africa’s sole representative in the female football event are making their debut at the tournament.
The Netherlands opened the flood gate of goals as early as the ninth minute with Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema eventually recording a first half hat trick.
The inexperience of the Zambia ladies was greatly exploited by the Orange Lionesses with the first half ending 6-1, after Zambia’s star girl who eventually got a hat trick pulled a goal back in the first half.
In the second half Midema got her fourth goal with just 14 minutes of play, Jill Roord added to the misery of the Zambians before substitutes Lineth Beerensteyn, who came in for Midema, and Victoria Pelova, in for Danielle van de Donk, completed the rout.
Zambia’s captain Banda who had scored in the first half, scored two more goals in the 81st and 82nd minutes to end the game at 10-3 in favour of the dutch ladies.
The defeat is Zambia’s worst, after the Super Falcons of Nigeria thrashed them 6-0 in October, 2014.
The Zambians will be hoping to redeem Africa’s image when they take on another tough opponent in China PR on July 24.
Zambia are in Group F with Netherlands, China PR and Brazil.
They qualified for the Olympics after winning the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament, eliminating the more fancied Cameroon in a two-legged tie on away goals.
Super Falcons of Nigeria were eliminated by Cote D’Ivoire in the Olympic qualifying series, making it the third successive edition of the Games that the Falcons will be missing.