Zambia Women’s national football team delivered a clinical first-half performance to claim a firm 2–0 advantage over Malawi Women heading into the halftime break.
The Copper Queens wasted no time taking control, stunning Malawi with an early opener in just the 2nd minute. Star forward Barbara Banda pounced early, finishing with precision to put Zambia ahead 1–0 and set an aggressive tone right from the opening whistle.
Malawi struggled to find their footing against Zambia’s high-pressing attack, failing to mount a sustained response through much of the opening period.
Zambia doubled their lead in the 37th minute when Chilufya breached the Malawian defense, slotting home a crucial second goal to consolidate their dominance and leave Malawi facing a steep uphill battle.
As the referee blew for halftime, Zambia went into the dressing room holding a comfortable 2–0 lead, well in control of the game and firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the second 45 minutes.