Tag: Zambia

Orlando Pride slam ‘unacceptable’ Zambia treatment of Chanda after injury

Pride GM Haley Carter said Zambia forced the midfielder to play through injury at the Olympics

Grace Chanda was expected to be a key midseason acquisition for the Orlando Pride, but the midfielder was instead ruled out for the season on Wednesday due to a ruptured quadriceps tendon.

According to Pride VP of soccer operations and general manager Haley Carter, the injury was caused by some serious mismanagement from the Zambia women’s national team.

After the Pride announced Chanda’s injury, Carter posted a fiery message on X accusing Zambia of “unacceptable” treatment of the 27-year-old midfielder at the recently completed Olympics.

“So disappointed for Grace,” Carter said. “Inadequate medical and performance resources, mismanaged loads, day-long travel in economy to the Olympics, and asks of her to continue training and play in the opening match post-injury. Totally unacceptable.”

Chanda came off injured in the first half of Zambia’s opening defeat against the U.S. women’s national team, and wouldn’t play in either of the team’s final two matches against Australia and Germany.

Zambia exited the Olympics after losing all three of its group-stage games.

Chanda initially signed with the Pride in May after spending two seasons with Madrid CFF in Spain’s Liga F. She was set to debut for the NWSL leaders upon completion of the Olympics.

The controversy over Chanda’s injury will cast a further shadow over Zambia’s women’s program, which has been dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct against head coach Bruce Mwape.

Though Mwape was allowed to coach Zambia at the Olympics, he was banned from any private contact with his players amid an ongoing investigation.

Mwape, 64, has denied the allegations against him.

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USWNT star Smith goes off with injury vs. Zambia

The forward limped off just before the break against the Copper Queens

The U.S. women’s national team suffered an injury blow in its Olympics opener, as star forward Sophia Smith was taken off in the first half against Zambia.

With the USWNT up 3-0 near the end of the first half, Smith went down near the bench and needed to receive treatment on the field.

The Portland Thorns star was unable to continue and had to be replaced by Lynn Williams in the 43rd minute.

The extent of Smith’s injury was not immediately clear, but U.S. fans will hope that head coach Emma Hayes removed the forward as a precaution due to the game essentially being settled.

The U.S. scored three first-half goals, and also went up a player after Zambia’s Pauline Zulu was shown a 34th-minute red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

The USWNT would go on to win the match 3-0 on the strength of a goal from Trinity Rodman and a brace from Mallory Swanson.

Smith’s injury was extra painful for the USWNT, who also lost Jaedyn Shaw to an injury before the game even started.

After the game, Hayes did not have any real updates to share on either Smith or Shaw.

Should either injury prove serious, it would leave the U.S. looking very thin in attack after Catarina Macario also had to withdraw from the Olympic roster due to a knee injury.

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USWNT forward Shaw misses Zambia match with leg injury

The 19-year-old has been replaced on the gameday roster by Croix Bethune

U.S. women’s national team forward Jaedyn Shaw will miss the team’s Olympic opener against Zambia with a leg injury, U.S. Soccer announced just 90 minutes before Thursday’s match.

Shaw was replaced in the matchday squad by roster alternate Croix Bethune, who earned her first two USWNT caps in this month’s friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica.

No USWNT official had indicated prior to Thursday that Shaw was suffering from any injury. The San Diego Wave star played against Mexico and Costa Rica, coming off the bench in the second half in both matches.

Shaw did suffer a leg injury with the Wave back in May, but only missed one NWSL game before she was able to return later in the month.

According to ESPN, Shaw was injured in training the day before the match against Zambia, and U.S. officials don’t believe the problem is serious.

If Shaw isn’t seriously hurt, head coach Emma Hayes could take advantage of a new roster rule to bring the forward back at some point during the tournament.

This Olympics, roster alternates are able to replace injured players on a game-by-game basis. That means Hayes could bring Shaw back whenever she is fit, moving Bethune back to her alternate role.

Shaw made her USWNT debut in October and quickly established herself as one of the team’s top attacking players. This spring, Shaw became the first player to ever score a goal in each of her first five USWNT starts.

Overall, Shaw has seven goals in 16 caps for the U.S. so far.

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USWNT vs. Zambia: How to watch Olympics, TV channel, live stream

The U.S. kicks off its quest for a first gold medal since 2012

The U.S. women’s national team kicks off its quest for Olympic gold against Zambia on Thursday.

Just two months after taking over as USWNT head coach, Emma Hayes will make her major tournament debut as her side opens Group B play with its first-ever meeting against the Copper Queens.

Zambia is led by superstar forward Barbra Banda, a player Hayes recently called the “best striker in the world right now.” Banda has 12 goals in 12 NWSL games for the Orlando Pride this season.

Banda scored two hat tricks at the Olympics in 2021, also scoring at the 2023 World Cup as Zambia failed to advance out of the group stage on both occasions.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Olympic soccer on Peacock” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/Y9vDoJ”]

The USWNT will be aiming for its first gold medal since 2012, having lost to Sweden in the quarterfinal in 2016 before falling against Canada in the semifinal in 2021.

Hayes will be sweating on the fitness of midfielder Rose Lavelle, who was a late scratch for the team’s send-off game against Costa Rica last week due to tightness in her groin.

After this match, the USWNT will face Germany and Australia in Group B.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

USA vs. Zambia (Olympic women’s soccer)

  • When: Thursday, July 25
  • Where: Stade de Nice (Nice, France)
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: USA Network, Universo, Peacock (WATCH NOW)

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Hayes: ‘Sole focus’ on getting Lavelle right for Zambia game

The playmaker’s status for the USWNT’s Olympics opener appears to be in the air

U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has said her “sole focus” is on ensuring Rose Lavelle is fit to face Zambia in Thursday’s Olympic opener.

Lavelle was named in the starting lineup for last week’s Olympic send-off friendly against Costa Rica, but was a late scratch after dealing with tightness in her groin.

The NJ/NY Gotham FC star has been in excellent form and her ability as an attacking midfielder is crucial for the USWNT — especially after Catarina Macario was forced out of the Olympics with a knee injury.

On Tuesday, two days ahead of the team’s Olympic opener, Hayes told the media that “everybody’s available for selection as of today” for the match against Zambia.

But the coach also indicated that the fitness of Lavelle isn’t a sure thing.

“My only focus is on winning the first game,” Hayes said. “It’s always a mistake when you think or talk in any other way. You have to win the first game. You then have to compete to win the second, you then have to win the group and only then can you be in a position to discuss anything else. For me, our sole focus is on getting Rose right for the Zambia game.”

Should Lavelle be unable to face Zambia, Hayes could take advantage of a new roster rule to replace the 29-year-old.

This Olympics, roster alternates are able to replace injured players on a game-by-game basis. That means Hayes could replace Lavelle on the roster for Zambia, and then bring Lavelle back for the team’s second game if she’s fit.

If Hayes opts to replace Lavelle with one of her four alternates, Washington Spirit rookie star Croix Bethune appears to be the most likely option as a like-for-like change. The other two non-goalkeeper alternates are defender Emily Sams and midfielder Hal Hershfelt.

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Hayes: USWNT Olympic opponent Banda ‘best striker in the world right now’

The Orlando Pride star has 12 goals in just 12 games in her first NWSL season

U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes knows what kind of challenge her side will face in Zambia striker Barbra Banda.

Banda has taken the NWSL by storm in her first season in the league, as the Orlando Pride star is currently tied for the league’s Golden Boot lead with 12 goals in just 12 games.

The Pride, who finished outside of the playoffs last season, are currently unbeaten and atop the league table with 11 wins and five draws in 16 games.

The NWSL will now go on hiatus with the Olympics coming up, with the USWNT set to open the tournament with a match against Banda’s Zambia side on July 25.

Speaking to ex-USWNT star Sam Mewis on stage for an interview with The Women’s Game on Monday, Hayes said Banda is the best striker in the world right now — making sure to add that last caveat in deference to her former star player at Chelsea.

“Zambia on form probably have the best striker in the world right now, banging in the goals — I say on form because I never want Sammy Kerr to phone me up later and remind me, which she will I might add, no matter the hour,” Hayes said with a laugh.

“With Zambia, you have a team that will play less progressive passes, i.e.  control the game in a certain way. But if you play man for man all over the pitch against them, it’s going to be a difficult game,” the coach added.

“Their ability to transition is better than any team I’ve seen in world football. We’ve been watching them, unbelievable their ability to go from back to front. So for us, structure becomes essential. That becomes the bedrock, what we do in possession and how we’re thinking about what happens when there is a turnover to be able to get those things right.”

Following the game against Zambia, the USWNT will close out group play with matches against Germany and Australia.

Hayes will be spared a meeting with Kerr in the group finale, as the Matildas striker was left off her country’s Olympic roster due to a torn ACL.

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USWNT learns Zambia will be final Olympic group stage opponent

It will be the first ever meeting between the two sides

The final piece of the Olympic group stage puzzle is now complete for the U.S. women’s national team, which learned late Tuesday that it will face Zambia in France this summer.

The USWNT was matched up with Germany and Australia in Group B in last month’s Olympic draw, and was set to be joined by a playoff winner from Africa.

That team has now been confirmed as Zambia, which defeated Morocco 2-0 in a qualifying playoff on Tuesday to advance via a 3-2 aggregate scoreline. Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda scored both goals on the evening.

The Copper Queens took part in their first major international tournament at the 2020 Olympics in Japan, and then played in their first World Cup last summer. They were eliminated at the group stage in both events.

Zambia will present a potent attacking threat with Banda and Racheal Kundananji, whom Bay FC signed for a world-record transfer fee prior to the 2024 NWSL season.

The USWNT and Zambia will open their Olympic campaigns against one another on July 25 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The U.S. will then take on Germany at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on July 28, before facing Australia three days later at the same venue.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Nigeria also secured its spot in the 12-team field for the Olympics, drawing South Africa 0-0 to earn a 1-0 aggregate victory. The Super Falcons will go into a tough Group C alongside Spain, Japan and Brazil.

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Elephant attacks safari vehicle, killing American tourist; video

Footage shows the elephant pursuing and flipping the vehicle, which had stopped in dense terrain at a national park in Zambia.

Footage has surfaced showing the harrowing moments last Saturday as a massive bull elephant chased and flipped a safari vehicle in Zambia, causing the death of a U.S. tourist.

The accompanying footage, shared by Andrew Cash, shows the elephant closing on the vehicle, which had run out of road moments before the attack. As tourists express alarm, a guide repeatedly yells “Hey!” in an attempt to ward off the elephant.

Details are slow to emerge, but Wilderness Destinations issued a statement in the aftermath of the incident in Kafue National Park. It reads, in part:

“Wilderness can confirm that an 80-year-old female American guest was tragically killed by a bull elephant while on a game drive at its Kafue National Park destination in Zambia on Saturday.

“Another female guest was also injured in this incident, when an aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp. The injured guest was taken to a private medical facility in South Africa while the other four guests received treatment for minor injuries.”

Elephant attacks are rare, but the docile-looking animals are unpredictable and should always be treated with respect.

Wilderness Destinations expressed “deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died” and addressed remarks on social media regarding why the vehicle had stopped:

“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough.”

A helicopter was involved in the rescue of the injured tourists. Several agencies are involved in the investigation.

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FIFA to investigate Zambia coach Mwape over sexual misconduct claims

Mwape is accused of inappropriately touching one of his players during the World Cup

FIFA has confirmed it received a complaint over Zambia women’s national team head coach Bruce Mwape, who has been accused of inappropriately touching one of his players at the World Cup.

The Guardian reported that several Zambia players saw Mwape rubbing his hands over the chest of a player at training last Friday.

In a statement to multiple media outlets, FIFA confirmed it will investigate the claims.

“We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being investigated,” FIFA said. “We cannot provide further details regarding an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons.”

In response, Zambia’s FA released a defiant statement, claiming no players had raised any issues over Mwape’s behavior and that the coach would be exonerated by video evidence.

“We wish to state the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has not received any such complaint from any of the players or officials in the delegation that travelled to the World Cup. It has therefore come as a surprise for us to hear of such alleged misconduct by the coach as reported in the said online publication (The Guardian),” said FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga.

“As a matter of fact, all the training sessions for the Copper Queens were filmed by the FAZ media team and offers no such footage as envisioned by The Guardian. Additionally, a FIFA film crew attached to the Zambian team at the World Cup was present at all training sessions.”

In its first ever World Cup, Zambia was eliminated after the group stage, which saw the team lose to Spain and Japan before notching its first ever World Cup win in its finale against Costa Rica.

Mwape entered the World Cup already carrying allegations of sexual misconduct, which The Guardian reported on last month.

“If he [Mwape] wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes,” one player who did not want to be named told The Guardian. “It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

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2023 Women’s World Cup Day 12 Recap: Australia sends Canada packing

The Matildas got the performance they needed to reach the knockout stage at Canada’s expense

Day 12 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup came with plenty of drama as the knockout stages are starting to fill up. There were four games on Day 12: Costa Rica played Zambia, Japan took on Spain, the Republic of Ireland battled it out against Nigeria, and Canada faced off against Australia.

But before we dive into the action, here’s your daily reminder that you can follow the entirety of the World Cup right here on Pro Soccer Wire! Make sure to check out the full TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and the rankings in this year’s race for the Golden Boot.

Now, let’s get into the games.