The Football Ferns were held to a 1-1 draw by Zambia in an entertaining pre-Olympics friendly at the Stade Louis Darragon in Vichy, France, on July 13, as both nations enjoyed a final hit-out before the 2024 Olympic Women's Football Tournament kicks off in twelve days' time. Michael Mayne's charges started like a house on fire, dominating the early stages of the contest but without ever threatening the "Copper Queens"' goal, although their defence was certainly wobbling under the pressure applied by their Kiwi counterparts. The closest the Football Ferns came to scoring early doors was when Ngambo Musole punched Ali Riley's superb cross on the run off the head of Milly Clegg in the tenth minute. Eight minutes later, Jacqui Hand swooped on a loose ball and promptly sent Katie Kitching careering into the penalty area. Musole dashed off her line to intervene, but was beaten to the punch by the retreating Pauline Zulu. Hand saw her deflected shot grabbed by Musole four minutes later, as the Football Ferns continued to threaten a defence whose frailties were brutally exposed by Ally Green's teasing 22nd minute cross. It was "man the lifeboats" time for Zambia at this point, and they succeeded in scrambling the ball out for a corner. The "Copper Queens" were afforded a rare sniff of the ball in an attacking situation in the 26th minute when Malia Steinmetz's stray pass was swooped upon by Rachael Nachula. But her poor first touch afforded the midfielder a second bite of the cherry - Lotto ticket time for you, Miss Steinmetz! Zambia finally mustered an attack in the 33rd minute, pacy captain Kabange Mupopo charging downfield before unleashing a twenty-five yarder which curled narrowly past the right-hand post of the hitherto untroubled Victoria Esson. Back came the Football Ferns straight away, Steinmetz delivering a delicious pass into the stride of Clegg, who took on two defenders, beating one before rounding the advancing figure of Musole. Alas for the young striker, the other defender, Lushomo Mweemba, had retreated to the goal, and was on hand to clear Clegg's 34th minute shot off the line. Four further minutes elapsed, at which point Green's wayward return pass to Catherine Bott was pounced on by Mupopo, who relished the chance to surge into the penalty area, only to shoot straight at Esson. It was a warning for the Football Ferns, and another materialised right on the stroke of half-time. Musole's raking goal kick lit up the eyes of Avell Chitundu, who was seeing her name in tomorrow's newspaper headlines back in her homeland. Katie Bowen had other ideas, however, sliding in to avert the danger and ensure the teams turned round with the score unchanged from kick-off - 0-0. The second half began just like the first - the Football Ferns on the front foot. Just three minutes after the resumption of play, Esson picked out Bott, whose angled pass released Clegg through the inside right channel. She rounded the approaching figure of Musole en route to the by-line, from where she whipped in a cross to the near post intended for Kitching. She had company, however - Esther Siamfuko, Pauline Zulu and Chitundu were all in close attendance, and succeeded in averting the danger … And sparking an attack from which Zambia scored a shock opener in the 49th minute. It came from a free-kick, which French referee Audrey Gerbel wrongly awarded to the Africans, Rebekah Stott having been fouled by Mupopo. Protests were swiftly dismissed by the official - she was adamant that it was a Zambian free-kick, one which Siamfuko curled into the penalty area from the right. Rhoda Chileshe rose between defenders to send a ten yard header flying past the diving figure of Esson - 1-0 Zambia. Red rag to a bull stuff, this - the Football Ferns flew into attack mode straight from the kick-off, and within three minutes, Clegg had directed a header straight at Musole on receipt of a free-kick from Bowen. Another Football Ferns free-kick soon after saw Clegg careering down the right, beating one opponent before delivering a low cross into the stride of Kitching. Her deft flick was deflected past the far post … quite how a goal kick was awarded only one person can explain, but the referee wasn't

for changing her mind. On the hour, Zambia were very nearly the architects of their own downfall. Zulu's back-pass to her goalkeeper went beyond Musole, who scampered after it. So, too, did Clegg, who was well positioned to block any attempted clearance by the custodian. Sure enough, Musole's hurried attempt to avert the danger cannoned off the hovering striker, the ball ricocheting narrowly past the post - a let-off for the "Copper Queens". Clegg was causing Zambia more problems just two minutes later, scampering through the inside right channel before firing a low cross from the by-line just beyond the incoming figure of Gabrielle Rennie, who had been introduced to the fray just seconds earlier. The Zambians mustered their first attacks since their goal in the 64th and 66th minutes, the first of them a flying counter-attack featuring Nachula and Mupopo, who cut inside before thundering a twenty-five yarder just past the flying figure of Esson and the far angle of post and crossbar. Buoyed by her captain's effort, Nachula went for glory herself in the 66th minute raid, storming down the left past all-comers before unleashing a shot which Esson dived to her left to save. She instantly sparked a counter-attack, Kitching racing down the right before delivering a cross which Clegg flicked on into the path of Rennie, only for Mweemba to intervene. Zambia's relief was temporary, however, for the defender's clearance landed at the feet of Kate Taylor, whose move from Wellington Phoenix was announced prior to this match, her destination Dijon, a French Premiere Ligue club which placed eighth last season in the twelve-team competition, with the star-studded Olympique Lyonnais side claiming their seventeenth title in eighteen seasons - a staggering reign of domestic dominance in anyone's language. Taylor celebrated her transfer by unleashing a shot which struck the outstretched hand of freshly introduced substitute Esther Muchinga, and referee Gerbel had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. An equaliser beckoned, and Kitching duly scored it, sending Musole the wrong way from the twelve yard mark - 1-1 after 67 minutes. Two minutes later, Taylor went closer still, rattling the crossbar with a deflected twenty yarder. Kitching then hit the far post with an inswinging corner, prompting a scrambled clearance by Zambia, who succeeded in clearing their lines for a throw-in. Cue another Football Ferns substitution, Anna Leat taking over in goal from Esson. Within seconds, the newcomer was earning her keep, blocking with her legs from the rampaging Mupopo as she led a counter-attack. Back came the Kiwis, Clegg's flick prompting Rennie to put Muchinga under all sorts of pressure. A back-pass towards Musole followed, as did the goal-hungry striker, whose presence forced the 'keeper to concede another corner. This was cleared, but a Bott free-kick soon afterwards saw Clegg direct a shot straight at Musole with fifteen minutes remaining. The open nature of the game at this stage suggested the scoring in this contest was far from over, and the Football Ferns were only prevented from taking the lead in the 81st minute by a superb close-quarters save by Musole, who tipped Clegg's shot over the bar after Michaela Foster had headed Bowen's angled cross into the striker's stride. Back came Zambia, Leat blocking a Barbra Banda piledriver before denying further efforts from Mupopo and Chitundu as the Africans sought a late winner. It wasn't forthcoming, a statement which equally applied to the Football Ferns, whose last chance to win the game saw Bott send Steinmetz to the by-line, from where she was unable to pick out Rennie thanks to the intervention of Musole, whose denials earned her team a draw in this maiden clash between these nations. Zambia:     Musole; Chitundu, P. Zulu (Muchinga, 61), Mweemba (booked, 31), Tembo (D. Banda, 61); M. Zulu (Chanda, 79), Chileshe (Wilombe, 61), Mupopo; Siamfuko, Lubanji (Kundananji, 72), Nachula (B. Banda, 72) F'ball Ferns:     Esson (Leat, 70); Bott, Bowen, Stott (Moore, 70), A. Riley (Barry, 46); Green (Foster, 62), Taylor, Steinmetz, Kitching; Hand (Rennie, 61), Clegg (Longo, 83) Referee:     Audrey Gerbel (France)