The Olympic Stadium in Rabat will host a historic Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final clash on Tuesday night as host nation Morocco take on Ghana in only their second-ever meeting at the continental tournament. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).

Their lone previous encounter came 24 years ago during the group stage of the 2000 edition in South Africa.

On that occasion, Ghana ran riot with three goals in five minutes—Elizabeth Baidu (65′), Grace Bayor (66′), and Nana Gyamfuah (70′)—securing a 3-0 victory that propelled the Black Queens into the knockout stage and eliminated Morocco from the competition.

This time, the stakes are even higher, with a place in the final of WAFCON 2024 on the line.

Both teams are in search of a maiden title and will be keen to seize the opportunity in what promises to be a tightly contested affair.

Ghana, three-time WAFCON finalists, have a complicated history against host nations. Tuesday’s clash will be the seventh time they face the home side at the tournament.

So far, the record is grim: one win and five defeats. Their only triumph came in 2004, a 3-0 group stage win over South Africa.

However, in knockout encounters with hosts—including three finals against Nigeria (1998, 2002, 2006) and two semi-finals (against South Africa in 2000 and Cameroon in 2016)—Ghana have faltered, failing to score in all five matches and conceding a total of seven goals.

For Morocco, the semi-final marks a continuation of their remarkable rise in women’s football.

Runners-up in 2022 on home soil, the Atlas Lionesses are once again within touching distance of the final, backed by passionate home support and buoyed by a squad that blends experience and emerging talent.

The hosts will look to rewrite the history books by avenging their 2000 defeat to Ghana and booking a second consecutive appearance in the final, while the Black Queens are out to end a 15-year wait for a WAFCON final berth and finally overcome their host-nation hoodoo.

With history, redemption, and continental glory on the line, Rabat is set for a memorable night of African women’s football.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Ghana’s Black Queens will look to break new ground at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) when they take on host nation Morocco in a highly anticipated semi-final clash on Tuesday night at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat (20:00 local time / 19:00 GMT).

The encounter marks Ghana’s seventh semi-final appearance at the continental championship. Their previous six outings yielded three wins and three defeats—all settled in regulation time. A win in Rabat would send Ghana to a fourth WAFCON final, having previously reached the title match in 1998, 2002, and 2006—all played on Nigerian soil. This time, they seek to reach their first final outside of West Africa.

Historically, Ghana’s fortunes in the semi-finals have followed a regional pattern. Their three wins came in West African editions: a 4-1 rout of DR Congo in 1998, a dramatic 3-2 extra-time triumph over Cameroon in 2002, and a narrow 1-0 win against South Africa in 2006.

 In contrast, all three of their semi-final losses occurred outside West Africa—1-0 to South Africa (2000) and twice to Cameroon (2004 and 2016), both by a single-goal margin.

In total, Ghana’s WAFCON knockout stage record, excluding penalty shootouts, stands evenly at seven wins and six losses.

However, they boast a perfect penalty shootout record, having defeated Ethiopia in 2004 (third-place match) and most recently, edged Algeria in the 2024 quarter-finals.

The goalless draw against Algeria was significant—it marked Ghana’s first clean sheet of the tournament and their first in six WAFCON matches.

While it was a gritty and defensive display, the Black Queens will be concerned by their lack of attacking output in that match, managing just two shots on target— their lowest tally in the tournament so far.

Head coach  Kim Lars Björkegren’s Swedish side will need to find a better attacking rhythm if they are to break down a high-scoring Moroccan team backed by a vocal home crowd.

 Yet Ghana’s pedigree at this level and their mental toughness—highlighted by their perfect record in shootouts—will give them confidence heading into what could be another tightly contested semi-final.

For Ghana, this is more than a shot at a fourth final—it’s a chance to break a long-standing regional barrier and prove that they can reach the WAFCON summit regardless of the venue.

With history beckoning, the Black Queens are poised for a defining moment under the Rabat lights.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Nigeria’s Super Falcons are primed for a high-stakes clash with defending champions South Africa in the second semifinal of the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

Striker Folasade Ijamilusi at training.

Brimming with confidence after a commanding 5-0 demolition of Zambia in the quarterfinals, the nine-time champions are determined to halt South Africa’s bid for back-to-back titles and continue their “Mission X” campaign toward reclaiming continental supremacy.

In the 27-year history of the Women’s AFCON, Nigeria has never failed to reach the semifinals, and that record remained unbroken after Friday’s ruthless display against Zambia.

Now, all eyes turn to what has become one of African women’s football’s fiercest rivalries—Nigeria versus South Africa.

The Banyana Banyana, once routine victims of the Falcons, have grown into formidable foes. It took South Africa 17 years after their first meeting in 1995 to register a win over Nigeria—a 1-0 triumph in Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

 Since then, they’ve added a handful of important victories, including group stage wins in 2018 and 2022. Notably, however, the 2018 final saw Nigeria emerge champions after a tense penalty shootout.

In recent encounters, the balance has slightly shifted. South Africa won 2-1 in the group stage of the last WAFCON in Morocco and went on to lift their maiden title.

 They also secured a famous 4-2 win over an understrength Nigerian side at the 2021 Aisha Buhari Invitational in Lagos.

But the Falcons got their revenge earlier this year, edging out the Banyana in the Olympic qualifiers to book their first Olympic Games ticket in 16 years.

Tuesday’s clash has ignited renewed debate over which team currently wears the crown as Africa’s best. The statistics paint a storied rivalry: in 25 total meetings, Nigeria have won 15, South Africa four, with six draws.

 In WAFCON alone, Nigeria leads with six wins to South Africa’s three, while one match— the 2018 final—ended in a draw before Nigeria triumphed on penalties.

Both teams reached the Round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but Nigeria’s spirited performance, including a shock victory over co-hosts Australia, earned them global admiration.

As the semifinals approach, attention also turns to individual accolades. Nigeria’s Chinwendu Ihezuo is in contention for the tournament’s Golden Boot with three goals, just one shy of joint leaders Ghizlane Chebbak of Morocco and Nguenar Ndiaye of Senegal.

With history, pride, and a place in the final on the line, Tuesday’s semifinal promises to be an electrifying chapter in the ever-evolving Nigeria–South Africa rivalry.

TALE OF THE TAPE: SUPER FALCONS V BANYANA BANYANA

4 Mar 1995: Nigeria 4  -1 South Africa (World Cup qualifier)

19 Mar 1995: South Africa 1-7 Nigeria (World Cup qualifier)

25 Nov 2000: South Africa 0-2 Nigeria (WAFCON)

18 Dec 2002: Nigeria 5-0 South Africa (WAFCON)

30 Mar 2003: South Africa 0-3 Nigeria (Friendly)

11 Oct 2003: Nigeria 1-0 South Africa (African Games)

12 Mar 2004: South Africa 2-2 Nigeria (Olympic qualifier)

28 Mar 2004: Nigeria 1-0 South Africa (Olympic qualifier)

9 July 2007: South Africa 2-2 Nigeria 2 (African Games)

18 July 2007: South Africa 0-4 Nigeria (African Games)

28 July 2008: Nigeria 5-0 South Africa (Olympic qualifier)

12 Aug 2008: South Africa 0-1 Nigeria (Olympic qualifier)

22 Nov 2008: South Africa 0-1 Nigeria (WAFCON)

4 Nov 2010: South Africa I-2 Nigeria (WAFCON)

3 June 2012: South Africa 1-1 Nigeria (Friendly)

23 June 2012: Nigeria 0-0 South Africa (Friendly)

7 Nov 2012: South Africa 1-0 Nigeria (WAFCON)

22 Oct 2014: South Africa 1-2 Nigeria (WAFCON)

29 Nov 2016: Nigeria 1 -0 South Africa (WAFCON)

18 Nov 2018: South Africa 1-0 Nigeria (WAFCON)

1 Dec 2018: Nigeria 0-0 South Africa 0 (WAFCON) – Nigeria triumphed 4-3 penalties.

21 Sept 2021: Nigeria 2-4 South Africa (Aisha Buhari Cup)

4 July 2022: South Africa 2-1 Nigeria (WAFCON)

5 April 2024: Nigeria 1-0 South Africa (Olympic qualifier)

9 April 2024: South Africa 0-0 Nigeria (Olympic qualifier)

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H