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The Copper Queens were knocked out of the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship on Friday afternoon after suffering a narrow 1–0 defeat to Namibia in the semi-finals.
Zambia dominated possession for large spells of the match but struggled to turn control into clear scoring chances.
The first half ended goalless despite the Copper Queens seeing more of the ball.
Namibia emerged after the break with greater attacking intent, relying on quick counter-attacks to unsettle the Zambian defence.
Read more: Copper Queens depart for COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time when Zenatha Coleman broke free down the flank, beat her marker and drove into the penalty area before squaring the ball for Juliana Blou, who tapped home from close range past goalkeeper Hazel Nali.
Speaking after the match, assistant coach Charles Haalubono admitted disappointment with the outcome but credited Namibia’s defensive organisation.
“It’s not the result we wanted. We tried to play our game, but it didn’t work for us because Namibia was very defensive and we didn’t create enough scoring opportunities,” Haalubono said.
He also pointed to lapses in concentration at the back that proved costly.
“Our one-on-one marking was not good enough. Our defender was beaten by Coleman, and she managed to deliver the cross that led to the goal,” he added.
Zambia will now shift focus to the third-place playoff, where they will face the loser of the semi-final between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
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