Morocco beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group A match at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat on Saturday.
The victory saw the Atlas Lionesses begin their group stage campaign with a victory, while the Ladies Stallions got off to a losing start.
Atlas Lionesses dominated the match from the start and Marriam Quattara was a busy woman in the Stallions goal-posts.
The USFA goalkeeper cleared two dangerous balls from Imane Soud which were played in the Burkina Faso box in the opening stages of the game.
Quattara then made two decent saves to deny Morocco duo Rosella Ayane and Soud as pressure mounted on the Burkina Faso defence.
However, the Ladies Stallions looked dangerous on the counter-attack and they had a chance to score through Juliette Nana.
The Belarus-based forward was sent through on goal from a quick free-kick, but she was brilliantly denied by Khadija Er-Rmici in Morocco goal-posts.
Burkina Faso were left to rue that missed chance as Morocco took the lead through skipper Ghizlan Chebbak free kick just before the half-hour.
Morocco were almost punished by Burkina Faso when a sloppy pass gifted the ball straight to Adama Congo just on the edge of the right-hand side of the box and the Burkina midfielder drilled a low effort which Khadija did well to keep out with his legs as the Lionesses breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon after, Zineb Redouani fouled Alimata Belem on the edge of the area. Jacquline Sedogo stepped up and curled a promising effort over the wall towards the top right corner but Khadija was across comfortably to catch.
In the 66th minute Redouani did well on the right-hand side when she skipped inside past two challenges and fired one off on his left foot which went wide of the right-hand post.
Morocco’s main striker Ayane was also denied by Quattara from close range just before the hour-mark as pressure mounted piled on Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso threatened against the run of play with 14 minutes left, but Alimata Belem’s long-range shot was well-saved by Khadija.
The Ladies Stallions continued to create half chances, and could have scored an equalizer on 87 minutes, through an angled drive from Millogo, had it not been for a magnificent save from Khadija, who tipped the sizzling shot over his own crossbar.
