WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Zambia goalkeeper Nali ruled out of Women’s World Cup

Published

2 months ago

July 12, 2023 10:16pm

Kunle Solaja

Women - Group F - Zambia v Netherlands - Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan - July 21, 2021. Hazel Nali of Zambia reacts REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Zambia’s starting goalkeeper Hazel Nali will not play in the Women’s World Cup due to serious knee ligament injuries, her national team said on Wednesday.

The announcement days before the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20 adds another name to a long list of injuries that has prompted great concerns in the sport.

“Get well soon, Nali, we are with you,” the Zambia team said on Twitter.

Zambia, who are making their World Cup debut and start their campaign against 2011 champions Japan on July 22, are among many teams to have players ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

European champions England have lost captain Leah Williamson, Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, and the United States will be without their top scorer Mallory Swanson.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Zambia goalkeeper Nali ruled out of Women’s World Cup

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