Zambia W vs Japan W Prediction & Betting Tips - Womens World Cup

Prediction published on 20/07/2023, 01:29  by Daniel Ngulu in Womens World Cup Predictions

In their opening outings of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Zambia and Japan will face off in Group C. In a group that also has Costa Rica and Spain, Zambia will be looking to make a memorable debut at the world stage. They finished third in the African Women Cup of Nations to book their slot. The Southern Africa nation’s form leading up to this tournament has however been inconsistent. In six friendly matches, they only managed two victories. While they have shown good prowess, in scoring nine times in their last four matches, they’ve been poor defensively. Zambia have conceded 13 times in their last five matches. Their last two games presented some hope for them coming into the competition. A late winner saw Zambia beat Germany 3-2. Earlier they squandered a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with Switzerland.

Japan has a rich history in the Women's World Cup, having qualified for every edition of the tournament. They won the championship in 2011 and will be looking to add on to that. In the 2019 edition, they exited the tournament in the last 16 round, which was a major setback. Japan have generally performed well at recent World Cup tournaments, consistently progressing from their group. Ranked 66 places above Zambia, Japan will have the favorites’ feel coming to this game. Currently, they are in good form, winning three of their last four matches, including a convincing 5-0 victory against Panama. That was a rebound after a 1-0 loss to Denmark. Japan's offensive strength is evident, having scored 10 goals in their last four fixtures, while their defense has been solid, conceding only twice.