The greatest escape? The history of international football is full of comebacks, thrilling moments and, in the match between Zambia and Australia in Nice, no one knew what was going on.
The Matildas rallied from three goals down to pull away with a win on Sunday night, courtesy of a hat-trick from Zambian sensation Barbra Banda and two from Rachel Kundanandji, the most expensive transfer acquisition in women’s football. If the Matildas needed a heart attack to restart their Olympic campaign, they got it – and the three points that could see them advance beyond the group stage and qualify for Paris 2024.
Perhaps never before has such an exciting Olympic soccer match been enjoyed in person by so few people — just a few thousand spectators made their way to the Stade de Nice on the outskirts of the Mediterranean city of Nice — but they did witness a truly spectacular match of attacking brilliance and defensive fragility rarely seen at this lofty level.
The obituaries had already been written about the Matildas’ Olympic campaign. Fans back home were already sharpening their knives. Like the Marie Antoinette character who appeared at Friday’s opening ceremony, Matildas manager Toni Gustafsson’s head seemed surely destined for decapitation. Then suddenly, that was no longer the case.
1-0 Zambia. 1-1 Australia. 2-1 Zambia. 3-1 Zambia. 3-2 Australia. 4-2 Zambia. 5-2 Zambia. 5-3 Australia. 5-4 Australia. 5-5 Australia after a VAR penalty. And then 5-6 Australia with the game coming to an end.
And who else could it be but Michelle Heyman? The super-sub. The 36-year-old striker, who retired from international duty in 2019, returned to the Matildas at a time when they were in danger without Sam Kerr. Just before the 90th minute, Heyman broke free. She was one-on-one with Zambia goalkeeper Ngambo Msore. And the Canberra United star smashed past her to give the Matildas their first and only lead of the game. But that was their only lead.
For much of the game, it was a replay of the Nice nightmare that saw the Matildas ousted from the 2019 Women’s World Cup following a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat (including a powerful shot from captain Kerr). The Nice nightmare was the original nightmare, and it took four years and one of the most remarkable shootout wins in football history to erase it.
The 89 minutes on Sunday felt like a continuation of that game, only worse. For much of the match, the Zambians outplayed the Australians. Goal after goal after goal kept Australia scoreless. Then suddenly, the Matildas came back with a flourish in the second half.
This was supposed to be an underdog game. Zambia is ranked 64th in the world, still their highest ever ranking; the Matildas are ranked 12th and are veterans of international competition. But Banda opened the scoring inside 40 seconds, making it clear the Matildas were in trouble. And it remained that way throughout the match, with Australia fighting desperately for an Olympic berth.
After newsletter promotion
The Matildas will play the United States on Wednesday to finish out their group stage. Australia can guarantee a place in the quarterfinals with a win against the USA. A draw or a loss could see the top two third-placed teams advance.
The crowd may have been small, but Australia’s brave squad made up for it with their roar in the closing seconds of the match. When Venezuelan referee Emícar Calderas blew the final whistle, the stadium erupted in roars. It was practically sold out. The crowd enjoyed a rapturous spectacle and the Matildas somehow emerged victorious. The Nice nightmare was over, replaced by this truly surreal scene. But in the end, the Matildas got the three points and their Olympic dream lived on.
