Goals galore as Dutch rout Zambian upstarts 10-3 in women’s football 

The Group F opener between European powers the Netherlands and Zambia proved to be a barnstormer on 21 July at Miyagi Stadium as Zambia’s Barbra Banda scored a hat-trick for the losing side – while the Dutch scored no fewer than 10 goals in an astonishing 10-3 rout.

Vivianne Miedema hit the net four times for the Dutch, shooting her to the top of the scoring charts for the Tokyo 2020 (in 2021) Women’s Football tournament after the first matchday.

The Arsenal striker is the all-time leading scorer in the Women’s Super League, as well as the top-scorer in Dutch history. Her goals came in the ninth, 15th, 29th and 59th minutes of a game that simply oozed all-out attack.

Lieke Martens added two more for the Netherlands, who finished second to the United States in the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. The Tokyo Games are the Netherlands' first trip to the Olympic Games for women’s football.

Barbra Banda – Zambia’s top player – scored all three goals for her side, the lowest ranked team in the field at No. 104 in the world rankings. The Zambians are also Olympic debutants.

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Next up for the Dutch is a date with Brazil – who hammered China in their opener – at Miyagi Stadium on 24 July. The Zambians will hope to rebound against the Chinese on the same day and in the same stadium.