Zambia's "Copper Queens" concluded their maiden FIFA Women's World Cup Finals campaign in victorious fashion at Waikato Stadium on July 31, conquering Costa Rica 3-1 in front of 8117 fans to score their first-ever win on  the game's greatest stage. Bruce Mwape's charges couldn't have got off to a better start, opening the scoring just 131 seconds into the contest, with Lushomo Mweemba volleying home Avell Chitundu's corner in stylish fashion. It set the tone for a fine first half display from the African team, whose moves frustrated "Las Ticas" to the extent that they had three players booked inside the first 25 minutes, while it took until four minutes before half-time until the Central American outfit registered a goal threat of their own. Zambia could have added a few more goals to their tally by this time. Daniela Solera was right behind Racheal Kundananji's seventh minute free-kick, while after Fabiola Villalobos had prevented the same player from doubling Zambia's advantage ten minutes later, Costa Rica were desperately fortunate not to concede a second goal in the twentieth minute. Inspirational captain Barbra Banda made in-roads down the right before fizzing in a low cross which was missed by Solera. The ball was scrambled away as far as Kundananji, whose shot was cleared off the line by Mariana Benavides. The Zambians continued to threaten, the diminutive Chitundu - a mere 4'7 tall - heading past the far post on receipt of a cross from her captain, while Banda herself was the beneficiary of some superb work by Evarine Katongo, who weaved past three opponents in the area before slipping the ball to the skipper. She was clipped from behind by Katherine Alvarado, prompting referee Bouchra Karboubi to point to the penalty spot. Banda sent Solera the wrong way from twelve yards to not only double Zambia's lead, but score a milestone goal - the 1000th in the history of FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. The Africans were eager to build on that 31st minute goal, with Susan Banda battering a twenty-yarder past the post two minutes later before Margaret Belemu's teasing free-kick from the right had Solera scrambling as it arced narrowly past the far post. Remarkably, that would be Zambia's last goalscoring opportunity until the 86th minute. In the interim, Costa Rica mounted a tremendous fightback, inspired by a string of set-piece opportunities, the first of which materialised in the 41st minute, prior to which the Central American team hadn't even gone close to sighting Zambia's goal. Alvarado delivered a free-kick to the far post, Benavides rising above all-comers to meet it with a thumping header which crashed against the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Sheika Scott, whose shot was cleared off the line by the well-placed Mweemba. Cue an acrobatic volley from Villalobos which flashed narrowly over the bar. "Las Ticas" were clearly eager to reduce the deficit before the half-time whistle, and further free-kicks from Alvarado gave them the chances to do so. From the first of them, Villalobos sent a header flashing over the bar from six yards, while Valeria Del Campo volleyed straight at Catherine Musonda after Raquel Rodriguez had headed the ball down to

her inside the area. While they didn't achieve their objective of making it 2-1 before the interval, Costa Rica only had to wait two minutes after the break to ensure the scoreboard showed that scoreline. Alvarado's corner was headed goalwards by Maria Coto, with Del Campo beating Musonda to the dropping ball, allowing Melissa Herrera to bundle it over the line from point-blank range. That set up a thrilling second half, with "Las Ticas" only denied a penalty in the 53rd minute due to Scott being offside in the build-up, a situation determined during a lengthy review by the Video Assistant Referee. Had she been onside, Musonda was guilty of tripping Priscilla Chinchilla in the area, so a spot-kick would have been awarded. Unperturbed, Costa Rica pressed again, Villalobos getting round the back but hitting the side-netting on receipt of another Alvarado free-kick on the hour. The same combination worked again for "Las Ticas" moments later, Villalobos' header from Alvarado's latest free-kick being turned round the post by Musonda. The offside flag denied Herrera an equaliser in the 68th minute, while a vital punch clear by Musonda three minutes later prevented Chinchilla from stealing onto a wayward back-header as Costa Rica's pursuit of parity continued in earnest. Chinchilla wasn't far away from getting on the end of a Herrera cross in the 73rd minute, while Rodriguez headed an Alvarado free-kick past the post two minutes later as Zambia reeled under a tremendous onslaught from the Central Americans. Still they pounded away, Maria Salas shooting past the post soon after her introduction, Rodriguez having flicked on a lobbed pass from Scott, while Del Campo volleyed past the post in the 78th minute on receipt of another Herrera cross. Zambia finally mustered an attack in response four minutes from time, Kundananji turning Coto this way and that before seeing Solera turn her shot to safety. It buoyed the "Copper Queens", with Solera battering away another attempt by Barba Banda soon afterwards. Suddenly, it was one-way traffic, this time towards Costa Rica's goal. Solera was formidable, however, thwarting both Kundananji and Banda again before the final whistle, while watching her opposite number fumble a routine cross in between times, Agness Musase stepping in to spare Musonda's blushes. The outcome was settled deep in stoppage time by a third Zambian goal, one which featured their principle attacking threats. Barbra Banda's buccaneering run resulted in her slipping in Kundananji on the left of the penalty area, leaving her one-on-one with Solera. This time, there was no stopping the striker, who curled her effort into the far corner to wrap up a historic 3-1 victory for the "Copper Queens" as both sides' time in New Zealand drew to a close in entertaining fashion. Costa Rica:     Solera; Del Campo (booked, 23), F. Villalobos, Benavides (booked, 21), Coto; Alvarado (booked, 60) (Pinell, 90), Rodriguez, G. Villalobos (Salas, 72); Herrera, Scott (Valenciano, 85), Chinchilla Zambia:     Musonda; Belemu, Musase, Mweemba, Tembo (booked, 40); Chitundu (Mapepa, 85), S. Banda, Katongo (Wilombe, 74); Chanda (Mubanga, 90), B. Banda (booked, 66), Kundananji Referee:     Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)