In what was a clear display of the gap in class between the teams, Zambia's World Cup debut turned out to be a tough and challenging encounter against the 2011 world champions, Japan. Right from the start, Japan showed its determination and will to win, dominating all areas of play and making an impressive statement at the tournament. Japan's forward, Mina Tanaka, was a constant threat to the Zambian defense, and she seemed to have opened the scoring in the 21st minute. However, her goal was ruled out for offside by VAR, denying Japan an early lead. Nonetheless, the Japanese side continued to press forward, and their relentless efforts paid off just before half-time. In the 43rd minute, Hinata Miyazawa found the back of the net, rewarding Japan for their exceptional performance in the first half, taking them into the break with a 1-0 lead. The second half started much like the first, with Zambia sitting deep and trying to soak up the pressure from the dominant Japanese side. Japan managed to double their advantage in the 49th minute through Mina Tanaka, but once again, her goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Japan's persistence eventually paid off in the 55th minute when Mina Tanaka successfully scored her first goal of the tournament, putting Japan 2-0 ahead, and this time, there was no VAR interference to deny her. The determined Japanese side continued to torment the newcomers on the world stage, and in the 62nd minute, Hinata Miyazawa added to her tally by scoring her second goal of the day, extending Japan's lead to 3-0. The onslaught continued, and in the 71st minute, Jun Endo secured Japan's fourth goal, further widening the margin. The closing stages of the match were marred by a penalty and a red card for Zambia's goalkeeper, Musonda, who received a second yellow card. The penalty was confidently converted by Riko Ueki, sealing Japan's resounding 5-0 victory. With this convincing victory, Japan now sits at the top of Group C, level on points with Spain, but with a superior goal difference. On the other hand, Zambia finds itself at the bottom of the table, with Costa Rica occupying the third spot. Zambia's next match will be a challenging encounter against Spain, and they will need to regroup and strategize to improve their performance and secure their first points of the tournament. As for Japan, they have undoubtedly made a statement of intent with this emphatic victory and will look to maintain their winning momentum in the upcoming matches.