TheCable

The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco have beaten the Super Falcons of Nigeria 5-4 on penalties to reach the final of the 2022 African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON).

In the keenly contested encounter at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on Monday night, the North Africans dashed the Nigerian ladies’ hopes of winning the trophy for a record tenth time.

It will also be the first-ever AWCON final appearance for Morocco.

The first forty-five minutes was cagey and enterprising but ended goalless.

Both teams, however, started the second half with increased vitality and desire to score goals.

Three minutes into the second half, Nigeria’s Halimat Ayinde was given her marching orders after getting a red card.

Uchenna Kanu, however, broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute from a scramble within the opposition goal post to put Nigeria ahead.

Four minutes after Kanu’s goal, Morocco level up from a defensive blunder by the Falcons back line.

Rasheedat Ajibade, the heroine of the quarter-final game against Cameroon, was thereafter sent off for a second yellow card offence to reduce the Nigerian team’s work force to nine.

Despite the red cards, the Falcons refused to let their guard down.

After adding six minutes to regulation time, the game went into extra time.

The Moroccan side went into the extra time gun blazing with several onslaughts upfront but Chiamaka Nnadozie, who came to the party well prepared, saved Nigeria’s blushes.

In the penalty shout-outs, Onumonu lost her spot kick which gave the Moroccan team the edge over the Super Falcons.

Morocco, the host, will take on South Africa in the final of the 2022 AWCON on Saturday.