February 25th 2024.
It was a tragic turn of events for Norin Betani, a talented 24-year-old Zambian striker, as she fell ill just days before the highly anticipated Paris Olympic women's qualifier against Ghana. The Football Association of Zambia revealed that she had been diagnosed with suspected malaria and passed away on Wednesday morning.
A spokesperson for the association expressed their grief and announced the passing of Norin, who was a part of the provisional squad for the Ghana match. It was a devastating blow, especially since she had worked hard to secure a spot in the team for the Olympic qualifiers.
In an interview with ESPN, FAZ communications manager Sydney Mungala shared, "We are deeply saddened by the death of Norin, especially since she had made it to the provisional squad for the Olympic qualifiers. Her illness was the only reason she couldn't make it to the final team. Our hearts go out to her teammates, and we hope they can honor her memory by winning the match in Ghana, a game she had hoped to be a part of."
Initially, there were doubts about whether Zambia's team, nicknamed the 'Copper Queens', would still play the game on Friday in the Confederation of African Football Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. But they decided to go ahead with it, and the match ended with Zambia emerging victorious with a score of 1-0.
In a show of respect and remembrance, a moment of silence and prayer was held during the team's final training session before the game. The captain of the Zambian team, Barbra Banda, expressed her condolences during a pre-match conference, saying, "May her soul rest in peace. It's not easy being a captain, and it's even harder to motivate everyone to keep going. We are trying to stay strong and focused. We know what has happened, and we hope it doesn't affect our performance. We have a task ahead of us, and we want to do it for Norin."
The second leg of the third round qualifier is set to take place next Wednesday as planned. The Zambian team will carry the memory of their fallen teammate with them as they continue their journey towards the Paris Olympics.
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