Barbra Banda was in devastating form as Zambia’s Copper Queens demolished Egypt 6-0 in their opening Group C fixture at the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco on Tuesday.
After dominating large spells of the first half, Zambia broke the deadlock on 25 minutes through a Rachael Nachula penalty, awarded following a foul on Banda.
Banda then doubled the advantage in the 60th minute from the spot before adding her second of the evening just three minutes later to make it 3-0.
With three minutes remaining, Banda completed her hat-trick to put Zambia 4-0 ahead, before Eneless Phiri added a fifth in the 93rd minute. Banda was not finished, however, rifling in a fourth strike to seal a stunning 6-0 victory.
The result sends a stern warning to the rest of Group C, with defending champions Nigeria’s Super Falcons set to face debutants Malawi in the group’s other fixture later on Tuesday.