The greatest escape? In the history of international football, there have been comebacks. There have been thrillers. And then there was whatever the hell played out between Zambia and Australia in Nice.
The Matildas recovered from a three-goal deficit, a hat-trick from Zambian sensation Barbra Banda and a brace from the most expensive signing in women’s football Racheal Kundananji, to somehow emerge victorious on Sunday night. If the Matildas needed a heart attack to restart their Olympic campaign, they got it – and the three points that might just keep them at Paris 2024 beyond the group stage.
Perhaps never has such an exciting game of Olympic football been enjoyed first-hand by so few. Only a few thousand spectators had made the trek to the Stade de Nice, on the outskirts of the Mediterranean city. But they were treated to something truly spectacular, a seesawing clash of attacking brilliance and defensive frailty of the kind rarely seen at this rarefied level.
Already the obituaries had been written for the Matildas’ Olympic campaign. Already fans back home were sharpening their knives. Like the Marie Antoinette character in Friday’s opening ceremony, Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson’s head was firmly on the chopping block. Until suddenly it wasn’t.
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, through a VAR-awarded penalty. And then, at the death, 5-6 Australia.
And who else but Michelle Heyman? The super sub. The 36-year-old striker who had retired from international football in 2019, only to return in the Sam Kerr-less Matildas’ hour of need. On the verge of the 90th minute, Heyman broke free. She found herself one-on-one with Zambian goalkeeper, Ngambo Musole. And the Canberra United star fired past her, to give the Matildas their first and only lead of the game. But it was the only lead that counted.
For much of the encounter, it had been the nightmare in Nice: redux. In this very spot, the Matildas had been sent home from the 2019 Women’s World Cup following a devastating loss on spot-kicks (which included captain Kerr blazing high). It was the original nightmare in Nice – and it took four years, and one of the most remarkable shootout wins in football history, to banish those demons.
For 89 minutes on Sunday, this felt like the sequel – only much worse. For much of the match, the Zambians put Australia to the sword. Goal after goal went unanswered. Until suddenly the Matildas mounted a spirited second-half comeback.
This should have been a mismatch. Zambia are ranked 64th in the world, and even that is their highest-ever position. The Matildas are 12th, and veterans of international tournaments. But Banda opened the scoring within 40 seconds to make it clear the Matildas had a fight on their hands. And so it remained throughout, as the Australians fought desperately with their Olympic campaign on the line.
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The Matildas will conclude the group stage on Wednesday when they face the United States. Australia can guarantee progress to the quarter-finals with victory over the Americans; a draw or even a loss might be enough, as the top two ranked third placed teams progress.
The crowd might have been few in number, but the hardy Australian contingent made up for it in full voice in the dying minutes. When Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas blew the final whistle, the stadium erupted. It might as well have been at capacity. The crowd had been treated to a frenetic spectacle, and the Matildas – somehow – had emerged on top. Nightmare in Nice no more, replaced by this truly surreal spectacle. But in the end, three points for the Matildas and their Olympic dream remains alive.