Women’s Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco dispatched Ghana 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to set up a final showdown with Nigeria at the same venue on Saturday.
Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah failed to score from the spot in the shootout while Morocco converted all of their attempts, having come from behind during regular time with the irrepressible Sakina Ouzraoui Diki cancelling out Stella Nyamekye’s first-half opener.
Morocco, defeated finalists in 2022, now reach a second consecutive WAFCON final where they’ll meet nine-time champions Nigeria who defeated South Africa 2-1 in Casablanca earlier on Tuesday.
Nyamekye had given Ghana the lead in the 26th minute when she tapped home beyond Khadija Er-Rmichi as the Morocco goalkeeper failed to get hold of an attempt on goal following a Black Queens corner. It was yet another high-profile error from the hosts’ stopper, who has looked like the weak link in Jorge Vilda’s fine team during this competition.
Morocco looked jittery as the first half wore on, but responded perfectly after the break, with Player of the Match Ouzraoui Diki — one of the revelations of this tournament — equalising 10 minutes into the second half with a brave left-footed volley from close range.
Nyamekye had served warning of her threat during the first quarter of an hour, when her attempt from range was saved by Er-Rmichi, with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah having earlier forced a stop from the Morocco keeper as the Black Queens sought to find their range.
Er-Rmichi was forced into another stop to deny Josephine Bonsu moments before the opening goal, with Sanaa Mssoudy having arguably the best chance of the half when she failed to hit the target with an effort from range.
Ghana, who failed to break down a resilient, rugged Algeria defence during their quarterfinal, could have extended the lead before the break, with Doris Boaduwaa twice taking aim at goal, once firing wide following a counter, having called Er-Rmichi into action again with a header.
The Morocco goalkeeper was ridiculed following her early error to allow Barbra Banda to score inside the opening minutes of the Atlas Lionesses’ first match — a 2-2 draw with Zambia — but here she was resilient, keeping Morocco only one goal behind heading into the break.
After the pause, it was the hosts who came out blazing, putting the pressure on Ghana from the off and winning a series of free kicks and two corners in the opening minutes of the half. Now it was Ghana keeper Cynthia Konlan who was called into action, denying Najat Badri, while Mssoudy stepped up the gears and created three chances in quick succession for Ghizlane Chebbak (twice) and veteran Ibtissam Jraïdi.
When the goal came, it was from Ouzraoui Diki, one of the breakout stars of this tournament, collecting a looping deflected ball into the box, bringing it under control, and finishing beyond the onrushing Konlan.
Morocco would have expected to push on from this point and kill off the contest within the 90 minutes, but for everything they through at Ghana — with Mssoudy and Ouzraoui Diki dovetailing superbly — they were unable to beat the Black Queens backline.
Indeed, Ghana themselves could have won it during the final stages, with Alice Kusi having two efforts, one of which was blocked, and Princella Adubea sending a header wide after a fine ball in from Boye-Hlorkah.
The most notable incident of extra time was an injury to Fatima Tagnaout, who had been introduced as a 90th-minute substitute to inject some spark into this Lionesses side in extra time, but was stretchered off in some discomfort with ice applied to the back of her knee.
So to penalties, where Hanane Aït El Haj, Jraidi, Kenza Chapelle and Anissa Lahmari each converted confidently for the hosts. After Bonsu and Kush netted Ghana’s opening goals, the pressure began to tell for the visitors, with substitute Badu sending a poor effort wide of Er-Rmichi’s right post.
The beleaguered Morocco keeper then completed her redemption act as she saved 18-year-old Comfort Yeboah’s weak effort to send the Atlas Lionesses through to meet the Super Falcons.