South Africa beat Morocco 2-1 in the final of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabata on Saturday.
Striker Hilda Magaia scored both goals for the Banyana Banyana to claim their maiden African title and secured qualification to next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Morocco scored their goal with ten minutes of the match thanks to Rosella Ayane strike that brought a tense reminder of the game.
The game got off to sloppy start by Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rimichi after her back-pass allowed Jane Refiloe to go through on goal but he fired a strike wide.
Morocco were forceful going forward as Fatima Tagnaout came close came close to giving them the lead in the 19th minute with a cracking strike from outside the box that was parried away by shot-stopper Andile Dlamini at full stretch..
The game continued to open up in the closing phase of the first stanza, with Reynald Pedros’ charges looking to hurt South Africa on counter-attacks but there were no clear chances as the sides went to the halftime break deadlocked.
Morocco were absorbing the pressure in the early stages of the second stanza, denying South Africa chances but Jermaine Seoposenwe came the closest to breaking the deadlock for the visitors on the hour-mark with a glancing header from a corner that sailed slightly over the bar.
South Africa broke the deadlock on the 63rd minute Magaia had the simple task of just tapping in after Seoposenwe made light work of two defenders on the left before laying the inviting pass.
Banyana Banyana doubled their lead in the 71st minute with Magaia having another close finish, this time from a cross out wide from Karabo Dhlamini that Morocco’s defence failed to cut out.
Morocco ushed forward even more after that and continued to look dangerous, but again it was at the other end, very much against the run of play once more, that we saw a goal.
In the 80th minute the North Africans fought back and pulled a goal back through Rosella Ayane but it was a question of too little too late.
It was a glorious night for Banyana Banyana who had lost their four previous finals: in 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
