2022 WOMENS AFCON GROUP B WRAP:SHEPOLOPOLO ZAMBIA WIN, CAMEROON LOSE
Shepolopolo Zambia national team (Pic FAZ Media)
2020 Olympics Women’s football tournament debutants Shepolopolo Zambia on Saturday played their second friendly game in Morocco since arriving there a week ago ahead of next weekend's 2022 Women’s AFCON.
Morocco is hosting the 2022 WAFCON from July 2-23 where Africa's top four finishers will earn automatic qualification to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Zambia, who are heading into their third WAFCON but have never made it beyond the preliminaries, fine-tuned for the tournament with a 6-0 friendly victory over local Moroccan women’s league club FC Phoenix in Marrakech.
Midfielder's Avell Chitundu and Misozi Zulu scored a brace each.
Chitundu found the target in the 20th and 44th minutes while Zulu who scored hers in the 24th and 66th minutes.
Shepolopolo captain Barbara Banda and Ochumba Oseke added a goal each in the 39th and 79th minutes respectively.
The friendly came exactly a week after Shepolopolo rallied to hold hosts Morocco to a 1-1 draw on June 18 in Rabat just 48 hours after Zambia arrived in the North African nation for the tournament.
Shepolopolo are scheduled to play their final pre-WAFCON friendly on June 28 against fellow tournament finalists Uganda in Marrakech.
Bruce Mwape's kicks off its Group B campaign on July 3 with a grudge showdown against Cameroon, the team they denied Olympic qualification on the final hurdle two years ago.
=CAMEROON
Cameroon were also in action on Saturday but lost 4-0 away to France at Stade de Beauvais.
The Indomitable Lionesses have been holding the final leg of their pre-WAFCON camp in France since they arrived in Europe on June 20.
Melvine Malard put France ahead in the 31st minute before a familiar face to the visitors, Griedge Mbock, who has Cameroonian roots, added the second seven minutes later to hand the hosts a two-nil halftime lead
Halftime substitute Ouleymata Saar wrapped-up the French teams' day with a brace in the 57th and 62nd minutes.
Cameroon plays French womens AAS Sarcelles on June 28 in their final training match before heading down to Morocco on July 29.
And Saturday's friendly was Cameroon's third since their two home friendly fixtures against WAFCON finalists Senegal in Douala a week ago.
Cameroon started off with a 2-2 draw on June 15 and won 1-0 on June 18.
=TOGO
Togo, who arrived in Morocco on Saturday morning, are set to play two international friendlies before their July 3 Group B opener against Tunisia.
The WAFCON debutants will face Burkina Faso on June 27 and Botswana on June 29.
Togo have played just one warm-up match prior to this on June 17 at home in Lome where they lost 3-0 to Ghana's newly crowned Women’s Premier League champions Ampem Darkoa FC.
=TUNISIA
Meanwhile, Tunisia are in action on June 27 against Senegal at Stade Chedly Zouiten in Tunis.
The game will be Tunisia's first official friendly since they kicked off their training camp on May 30.
Tunisia are scheduled to depart for Morocco on June 29.