PARIS 2024Q: It is a learning curve for us – Nora Häuptle on Black Queens elimination

Ghana’s hopes for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games were dashed after a 3-3 draw with Zambia, resulting in a 4-3 aggregate loss at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Star player Barbra Banda’s late goal secured Zambia’s victory, while Ghana finished the game with 10 players due to Jennifer Cudjoe’s dismissal in the 95th minute.

Despite the exit, Coach Nora Häuptle acknowledges the defeat as a valuable learning experience, emphasizing the team’s dedication on the pitch and will now shift focus to the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

All in all, dissapointed for us.

Kudos to Zambia, today we offered them a little bit of a different start, it was all open. To be honest in the last 15minutes we had our chances to take, two or three chances, but failed to convert them, it is football.

We will learn our lessons, i cannot blame my team for having anything wrong.

Finally, the last 8, 9minutes, Zambia had a freekick, and seriously i cannot blame my team for that.

We just need to learn and get more of this high pressure game.

Banda scored from the ensuing free kick to seal Zambia’s progression to the next round of the qualification process.

The late goal was Banda’s second in the game with Mupopo Kabange’s goal sandwiching the pair from the Zambian captain.

Ghana got goals from Gifty Assifuah, Doris Boaduwaa and Bugri Azumah in the 21st, 55th and 65th minute respectively.

In April, the Copper Queens of Zambia will confront Morocco in a pivotal final qualifying round, vying for one of the coveted slots in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is set to engage South Africa in the other crucial match.

The Black Queens are now shifting their focus to the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Morocco later this year.