The Paris 2024 Olympics start today and that means we are getting closer to two weeks filled with the best women’s football. On the first match day the USA vs Zambia kick off their Olympic journey in Group B. The two nations have not faced each other before. It will be an exciting start for Emma Hayes, who now manages the USA. The head coach must prepare her team for one of the best African nations to play against. Let’s have a look at the statistics, possible line-ups, players, and where to watch the Paris 2024 Olympics matches.
Preview Paris Olympics USA vs Zambia
Zambia qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics through the CAF Women’s Olympic Tournament. They won two out of three matches against Ghana and Morocco. Zambia will face the USA in their first group-stage match. Emma Hayes’s squad qualified through the CONCACAF Championships earlier this year. During the tournament, the USA won from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic.
Below you see the current points of all the teams in Group B. As this is the first Match Day everyone still has 0 points. After the group stage, we will know who made it to the knockouts. This is when the tournament really starts.
| Group B | Points | Goal Difference |
| Australia | 0 | 0 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 |
| USA | 0 | 0 |
| Zambia | 0 | 0 |
USA vs Zambia Line-up & Players
The tournament starts today, but we do not have the exact Olympic line-ups yet. Emma Hayes announced her 18-player squad and Bruce Mwape announced Zambia’s. We will update this with the line-ups when we get closer to kick-off.
USA Starting IX Line-Up
- 1 Alyssa Naeher
- 2 Emily Fox
- 4 Naomi Girma
- 5 Trinity Rodman
- 7 Crystal Dunn
- 9 Mallory Swanson
- 10 Lindsey Horan
- 11 Sophia Smith
- 12 Tierna Davidson
- 16 Rose Lavelle
- 17 Sam Coffey
USA Olympic 2024 Squad
- Goalkeepers: Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher
- Defenders: Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswonger, Emily Sonnett
- Midfielders: Korbin Albert, Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario
- Forwards: Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson
Zambia Starting IX Line-Up
- 18 Musole
- 3 Mweeba
- 4 Esther
- 5 Zulu
- 9 Mupopo
- 10 G. Chanda
- 11 Banda
- 13 Tembo
- 14 Chilufya
- 15 H. Chanda
- 17 Kundananji
Zambia Olympic 2024 Squad
Bruce Mwape announced his Zambia 18-player squad for the Olympics 2024.
- Goalkeepers: Catherine Musondam Ngambo Musole, Eunice Sakala.
- Defenders: Diana Banda, Esther Siamfuko, Lushomo Mweeba, Pauline Zulu, Martha Tembo, Esther Muchinga Vast Phiri.
- Midfielders: Rhodah Chileshe, Misozi Zulu, Grace Chanda, Avell Chitunda, Hellen Chanda, Mary Wilombe.
- Forwards: Ochumba Oseke, Kabange Mupopo, Barbra Banda, Prisca Chilufya, Racheal Kundananji, Racheal Nachula.
Bruce Mwape has been accused of sexual assault during the World Cup 2023 by players and employees. The investigation is still ongoing. Mwape’s visa was declined by France, but to honour the Olympics they eventually allowed it. However, he is not allowed to be with his players one on one. Meetings will have to take place in open areas and with other people present.
USA vs Zambia Statistics
The statistics for the USA and Zambia are in the table below. Because the two never played against each other, we decided on statistics per team.
| Team Streaks | ||
 | Wins | 9/10 |
 | No Losses | 8/10 |
| Less than 2.5 goals | 5/10 |
| More than 2.5 goals | 5.10 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to watch USA vs Zambia Olympics 2024?
You can watch Paris 2024 women’s football through the Media Rights Holders (MRHs). MRHs include:
- HBO Max
- Nine in Australia.
- France Télévisions in France.
- NBC and Peacock in the United States.
- SKY NZ in New Zealand.
- Discovery Eurosport across Europe.
- Fuji TV/NHK/Nippon TV/TBS/TV Asahi/TV Tokyo in Japan.
- ARD/ZDF in Germany.
- BBC in the United Kingdom
- SuperSport in South Africa.
Is the USA one of the favourites for the Olympics Gold Medal?
Yes, the USA won four out of five of the first Olympics from 1996 until 2012. Their recent tournaments did not go as planned. Emma Hayes is here to change that.
What key players play for Zambia?
Rachel Kundananji currently plays for Bay FC and is the most expensive women’s football player. Together with Banda and Chanda, she will lead her team hopefully to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Leave a Reply