WAFCON 2022: Recap, as South Africa, Nigeria win honours

Banyana Banyana of South Africa, Saturday, lifted their first-ever continental title, as they beat the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco 2-1 to win the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), played in the latter’s home country.

Morocco which hosted the 2022 edition of the tournament in two its cities; Casablanca and Rabat, Saturday, failed to make their hosting count, losing to the last two edition’s finalist, South Africa.

Banyana Banyana beat hosts Morocco in the final, courtesy of goals from striker Hildah Magaia at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat.

Two second-half goals by the South Korea-based attacker set Banyana Banyana on its way to their first continental title in Rabat, but the hosts were determined to get back into the game.

Rosella Ayane gave the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco a glimmer of hope with ten minutes remaining to ensure a tense finish of the match. Tagnaout took advantage of a defensive error to intelligently set up Rosella Ayane, who made no mistake from inside the box.

Despite the late efforts of Morocco to equalise, South Africa held on to win their first title after five failed attempts in the final of the continent’s flagship women’s competition.

“Honestly, it has not yet dawned on us that we are African champions. This feels like a dream to us. I know eventually when we sit down, we shall realise that it is actually true.

“When we look back at the journey, it is going to be a tough one. When I lifted the trophy, there was so much going through my mind. This is big for South Africa, for Women’s Football. I cannot wait to get back home. They have been supporting us since day one.

“Today, we saw a united South Africa. It is something that we had hoped for. We wanted to bring hope and bring back smiles to South Africans. We are grateful for the support that they have shown to us,” said South Africa’s captain Refiloe Jane said after the match.

South Africa, named the National Team of the Year, were also bagged the Fair Play Team award.

Magaia whose brace secured the WAFCON title for South Africa was also named the Woman of the Match.

Though failing to lift the trophy for a 10^th time as planned, the Super Falcons’ however, got a consolation as striker, Rasheedat Ajibade was also on Saturday named as joint winner of the Golden Boot for the competition’s top scorer, at the just-concluded competition.

Ajibade, alongside South Africa’s Hilda Magaia and Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebak emerged the 2022 WAFCON joint top scorer with three goals each.

All four semi-finalists, including; South Africa, Morocco, Zambia and Nigeria have already secured automatic tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, next year.

Earlier on Friday, the Shepolopolo of Zambia had claimed the third-place trophy after pipping the Super Falcons of Nigeria to the medal after a 1-0 scoreline.

This is the third time the Super Falcons, who are nine times champions of the women continental tournament, would be finishing in the semi finals in the history of the championship.

Meanwhile, despite limping off due to injury in the first match of the Super Falcons against South Africa at the ongoing Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2022 in Morocco, striker, Asisat Oshoala, has been crowned this year’s CAF women’s ‘Player of the Year.’

The 27-year-old was announced the winner of the award during the gala held in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday, on the sidelines of the WAFCON tournament.

Oshoala becomes the first player in history to win the African Player of the Year awards for five times, displacing former Falcons striker, Perpetua Nkwocha, who had clinched it four times during her playing career.

Oshoalla, the Barcelona Ladies striker had previously won the awards in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019.

Much-earlier in the tournament, in the Repechage Africa play-offs, Senegal’s Teranga lionesses qualified alongside the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon to advance to the Inter-Continental play-offs to secure one of the three tickets available to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The play-offs will hold in Australia/New Zealand, February 2023.

Senegal’s Teranga lionesses edged out the Female Carthage Eagles of Tunisia by 4-2 via penalty shoot-out after 0-0 regulation time in Casablanca, Morocco.

While 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.