Hosts Morocco will face Nigeria in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations( WAFCON) after a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Ghana in Tuesday night’s semi-final.
The tightly contested match ended 1-1 after extra time, before Morocco held their nerve from the spot to reach their second consecutive WAFCON final.
Ghana started brightly at the Stade Moulay Abdellah, and were rewarded in the 26th minute when Stella Nyamekye pounced on a loose ball from a corner and fired the Black Queens ahead.
The West Africans continued to threaten in the first half through Doris Boaduwaa and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, but Morocco regrouped after the interval.
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Backed by a roaring home crowd, the Atlas Lionesses levelled in the 55th minute when Sakina Ouzraoui Diki bundled the ball over the line after sustained pressure and a deflected effort from Ibtissam Jraïdi.
Photo Credit: CAF
The remainder of the match was fiercely contested, with both sides creating clear chances. Ghana nearly retook the lead through Princella Adubea and Evelyn Badu, while Morocco’s late push saw efforts from distance narrowly miss the target.
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With neither side able to break the deadlock in extra time, the match went to penalties.
Morocco converted all but one of their spot-kicks, while goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi saved one and Ghana missed another, handing the hosts a 4-2 win in the shootout.
The victory sets up a mouth-watering final against Nigeria on Saturday, in what will be a repeat of their 2022 semi-final clash, one Morocco won on penalties.
For Ghana, a third-place playoff against South Africa awaits on Friday, as they aim to leave Morocco with a medal.
