Tokyo 2020 Olympics Daily Review – 21 July 2021

It was an eventful day in women’s football, as the headline result was Sweden’s 3-0 victory over the USA. Stina Blackstenius scored twice for the Swedes before Lina Hurtig netted off the bench to put the cherry on top, sealing a repeat upset of Sweden’s 2016 triumph over the USWNT. This time, the reigning world champions do have time to bounce back.

From an African perspective, this was a day which we may look back on for some time. The Netherlands swept Zambia aside 10-3, but we may come to remember this game as the one in which Barbra Banda announced herself to the world with a sensational hat-trick.

In softball, there were wins for Canada and the USA, while Japan got off to a fine start on home soil with an 8-1 victory over Australia.

Leonard Solms

Leonard Solms is a sports journalist who features regularly on various local and international platforms including ESPN, New Frame, FARPost, Tagged Online and Careers Magazine, as well as this one. He enjoys the occasional bet and the most important tip he can give you is to bet within your means.