Black Queens coach Nora Hauptle has lauded her team's spirited performance in the second leg of the Women's Olympic Games third-round qualifier against Zambia on Wednesday.

Despite their commendable effort, Ghana conceded in added time and crashed out of the qualifiers after being reduced to 10 players in the 96th minute.

Reflecting on the match, Hauptle praised her team's bravery, fighting spirit, and commitment to playing football. She expressed her inability to fault their efforts, acknowledging the challenges they faced during the game.

"My team was brave, my team was playing football, my team was fighting, I can't blame them at all. Sometimes it's hard," said Nora Hauptle.

She highlighted the late free-kick goal conceded and Jennifer Cudjoe's red card as pivotal moments in the match.

Despite the disappointment of the result, Hauptle credited Zambia for their performance and progression to the next round of qualifiers.

"They scored a free-kick and the red card in the last minute. We would have loved to go overtime but all in all, it's disappointing for us but kudos to Zambia," she added.

The Black Queens lost 1-0 to the Copper Queens in the first leg before battling to a 3-3 draw in the second leg. However, Zambia advanced with a 4-3 aggregate score, ending Ghana's hopes of qualifying for the Olympics.