Zambia come up short as Japan secure dominant World Cup victory

Hinata Miyazawa stole the spotlight with a spectacular brace at the Waikato Stadium, helping to steer the 2011 champions to a 5-0 win.

The Zambian women fought hard but were simply outmatched by a higher-ranked opponent on the day, while a second-half red card also did them little favours.

Right from the kick-off, the Asian squad dictated the tempo with Aoba Fujino spearheading their attacking force. In the opening 10 minutes, Fujino came close to breaking the deadlock twice, with a shot that was tipped over the bar and a thunderous long-range drive that rattled the woodwork.

Despite Zambia's goalkeeper Catherine Musonda pulling off impressive saves, the Copper Queens struggled to escape their own half, living perilously close to conceding. Their defences finally crumbled just before half-time when Miyazawa expertly converted Fujino's cross from inside the box.

Zambia's luck seemed to hold as Mina Tanaka's goal and a penalty awarded for Musonda's foul on Fujino were both disallowed for narrow offsides. However, Tanaka eventually found the back of the net, doubling Japan's lead with a well-timed finish from Jun Endo's cross.

As the match progressed, Bruce Mwape's side lost their grip on the game, allowing Japan to extend their advantage. Miyazawa secured her brace with a close-range tap-in, making it 3-0 just after the hour mark. Endo then clinically slotted the ball into the bottom corner, showcasing Japan's offensive prowess and taking the score to 4-0.

Zambia's misery continued when a fantastic goalline clearance by Martha Tembo denied Riko Ueki from adding a fifth. However, the final blow came in added time when Musonda brought down Ueki in the box, conceding a penalty and receiving a red card in the process.

Ueki converted the spot-kick on the second attempt, putting the finishing touches on a humbling evening for Zambia, who had hoped to make a splash on their World Cup debut but couldn't manage a single shot on goal.

With this impressive victory, Japan now stand in a strong position to secure a place in the knockout stages by defeating Costa Rica on Wednesday.

As for Zambia, they will need to lift themselves for another big clash against a formidable opponent when they take on Spain, also on Wednesday.