Poletti 
Michelle Heyman during a Matildas training session in February 2024. Photo: Football Australia
In what was a must-win game for the Matildas to put themselves in a great position to qualify for the knockout stages, they did it the hard way, defeating Zambia 6-5 in an entertaining encounter in Nice.
As Australian fans watching live braved the 3am AEST start time, they were startled with what could best be described as a nightmare, with Zambian superstar Barbra Banda scoring inside the opening minute to put the Matildas on the back foot, the first of 11 goals in the match.
It was not, however, the fastest goal in women’s Olympics football history. That honour still belongs to Canadian forward Janine Beckie, who scored 20 seconds into a 2-0 victory over Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
What followed for the remainder of the first half, and indeed the entire match, was nothing short of a rollercoaster, with plenty of highs and lows for everyone involved.
The Matildas would not have to wait long for an equaliser, scoring through an Alanna Kennedy header in the seventh minute off a free kick in a goal that could best be described as Australian football heritage of sticking it into the box, looking for the tall player, and hoping.
In fact, that seemed to be the entire game plan for the Aussies in the first 45, with no recognised striker starting the game and a rotating front line of wingers and midfielders being expected to play as a classic number nine when called upon, or the wingers just crossing it in and continuing to hope for the best.
Racheal Kundananji would score the second for Zambia, before Banda would add her second and third goals either side of a Hayley Raso header at the far post from a corner, giving Zambia a 4-2 lead at half-time.
Australia almost found itself three goals down just after the resumption of play, and had Mackenzie Arnold not found a diving save to her left, the fight back would have become much harder.
With a need to chase the game for the second 45, coach Tony Gustavsson made no substitutions at half-time, choosing to continue with his first half game plan of a 4-2-4 with the front line being made up of Caitlin Foord, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler, and Hayley Raso rotating in and out of the central two as required.
It also left plenty of people on social media asking the question of “where is Michelle Heyman?”
The Canberra United striker was left on the bench to begin the second half, and after Kundananji would score Zambia’s fifth, with the Aussies once again conceding from a set-piece, Gustavsson would go to the bench, bringing on Heyman, as well as Clare Wheeler and Kaitlin Torpey.
Almost immediately after Heyman’s inclusion, it would become 5-3, and then 5-4 in the 66th minute with the inclusion of the A-League Women goal-scoring centurion sparking a change in Australia’s attack, setting the side up to erase the deficit.
In the 76th minute, Australia would win a penalty, and Steph Catley would convert from the spot, drawing the game level for the first time since early in the first half.
In the 90th minute, Heyman would give Australia the lead for the first time in the game, capping off the miracle comeback with eight minutes of stoppage time still to come, which Australia would survive and hold on for victory.
“It’s that never say die attitude,” Heyman said post-game.
“I just wanted to get on that field and give it my all. I really want that medal and I’ll do anything I can do to get that and bring that home.
“For us, it was just keep digging, We knew we could do it. It was going to come and we knew they were going to get tired.
“I was happy to come on with fresh legs and run some rings around and just enjoy the game. You could see that passion on the field. We were giving it our all and we never gave up.”
The feelings of joy and celebration which could be seen in the Matildas camp at the full-time whistle were contrasted by tears of sadness and defeat amongst the Zambian side, with multiple players collapsing into tears, including keeper Ngambo Musole, who’s 58th minute own goal sparked the Matildas comeback.
While progression is still very much up in the air for the Matildas, their destiny is very much in their hands heading into the final group stage game against the USA on Thursday morning AEST, and that is all you can ask for after opening the tournament with a loss.