Copper Queens Dominate New Zealand, Secure Knockout Berth at U-17 Women’s World Cup
Zambia’s U-17 Women’s National Team, delivered a commanding performance to defeat New Zealand 4-0 in their final Group Stage match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™, booking their place in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Needing a result to advance, the African representatives showcased their growing strength, overwhelming the Young Ferns with a quartet of goals that ended New Zealand’s tournament with three defeats from three games.
The match began tensely, with New Zealand holding out for the opening half hour, but Zambia’s pressure steadily mounted. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 33rd minute when Victoria Mbali pounced on a loose ball inside the box, clinically slotting it into the bottom-right corner to open the scoring.
Zambia quickly doubled their advantage just before halftime. Mercy Chipasula showed quick feet and composure in the 44th minute, turning and unleashing a shot that found the net after deflecting in off the underside of the crossbar, giving the Young Copper Queens a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw Zambia continue to control the flow of the game, limiting New Zealand to just two shots across the entire 90 minutes. Mbali nearly netted her second, rattling the top of the crossbar, before Masela Sekeseke added Zambia’s third goal in the 68th minute, racing in-behind the New Zealand defence to finish smartly.
The victory was capped off in spectacular fashion by Grace Phiri, who unleashed a powerful right-footed rocket from outside the box. Her stunning strike sealed the 4-0 scoreline and, more importantly for the Young Copper Queens, guaranteed their progression to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition.
The impressive win marks a significant achievement for the Zambian side, who now look ahead to the elimination rounds, carrying the momentum of a dominant performance into the latter stages of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
