2022 WAFCON: Super Falcons lose to Morocco 6-5 on penalties, fail to reach final

Nigeria’s female national team, the Super Falcons have failed in their quest to win their 10^th Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after losing 6-5 to host Morocco after penalty shootouts.

The match played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat ended 1-1 in regulation time with 30 minutes of extra time producing no goals.

The encounter went into penalty shootout with the Super Falcons converting four of the kicks while the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco scored all five kicks ending 5-4.

Super Falcons’ striker, Ifeoma Onumonu failed to score with the team’s second kick, handing the hosts their first WAFCON final.

Playing before a full-capacity over 50, 000 stadium, the Super Falcons survived the 120 minutes of action with nine players against the 11 complete Moroccan side.

The Super Falcons played over 70 minutes of the 120-minute encounter with 9 women after midfielder, Halimat Ayinde in the 48^th minute and winger, Rasheedat Ajibade were red-carded for foul play in the second half.

The Nigerians had taken the lead even with one woman down against the run of play courtesy of an own goal by Moroccan defender, Yasmine Rabat, off an Uchenna Kanu shot from an Onumonu header that had hit the bar.

The Moroccans found the equalizer barely four minutes later, as scores ended at 1-1 after 90 minutes of normal regulation time.

The Super Falcons also had Ajibade sent off in the 70^th minute for a foul which the Mauritanian referee had initially given a yellow card, but which was upgraded to red upon review by VAR.

The Nigerian ladies defended for over 70 minutes of the match with eight women, an in a rare attempt at goal hit the bar in extra time.

Morocco now progresses to the final to meet South Africa., which had beaten Zambia in the earlier semi-final match played in Casablanca.

The Banyana Banyana of South Africa had beaten the Shepolopolo of Zambia by 1-0 at the Stade Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.

Nigeria will now play Zambia in the third-place match on Friday, July 22.

Meanwhile, in one of the two matches in the Africa play-offs of the Repechage phase for qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, in 2023, Senegal’s Teranga lionesses edged out the Female Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.

Senegal beat Tunisia by 4-2 via penalty shoot-out after 0-0 regulation time in Casablanca, Morocco.

In the other match, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon beat the Swans of Botswana by 1-0 under regulation time to advance to the Inter-Continental play-offs.

The two winners of the phase from Africa will now join eight others from other continents to battle for the three tickets available for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in February, next year.

The Repechage play-offs provide another route to qualification for the teams which failed to make the cut via the regular continental tournament.

In Africa, while the WAFCON is also qualification tournament, the ongoing Women Euros hosted by England is for teams in Europe.

Venue of the play-off is the same as the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand in February 2023.

The format of the Repechage phase sees the two winners from Africa enter the inter-confederation playoffs.

In the Repechage phase, the four losers of the quarterfinals face off; as two winners will emerge and will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs, a qualifier involving teams from other confederations.

10 teams overall will compete in the final of the Repechage phase from which three winners will emerge for places in the FIFA World Cup proper in Australia/New Zealand, 2023.