Di third-place play-off for TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations don end with drama full ground. Morocco wey be di host and Algeria they battle for di bronze medal for Rabat Olympic Stadium on Saturday, August 15. E no easy o.
Na Morocco first show say dem want win. Kautar Azraf score for di 37th minute, wey come from fine pass from Hanane Ait El Haj. Di lead hold well well until half time. Algeria no fit find answer, but dem no give up.
Early for second half, Morocco believe say dem don double di lead. Meryem Attig put ball for net for di 47th minute, but referee go check VAR and disallow di goal. So di match remain 1-0 for Morocco.
Algeria keep pressing and pressing. Finally, for di 83rd minute, Lina Boussaha score from pass from Sofia Belkhaled. Di game don level. Anybody fit win now.
For added time wey sweet pass movie, Morocco get golden chance to settle am. Dem win penalty for di 90+7 minute. Nouhaila Benzina step up, but she miss di penalty. E be like say di same spirit wey make Brahim Diaz miss against Senegal for men’s Africa final still dey worry Morocco.
So di match end 1-1. No extra time for third place, so dem go straight to penalty shootout. Morocco convert dia first two kicks, but after that, dem miss three in a row. Algeria score two out of four, and Ines Belloumou net di final kick to give Algeria bronze. Morocco suffer again for penalty.
Dis one na repeat of di semi-final wey dem lose to Cameroon on Wednesday. For dat one, Morocco also lose for penalties, and dem save three consecutive kicks. Against Algeria, e happen again. Morocco fans no go happy.
E be third straight WAFCON wey Morocco don host. For 2022 and 2024, dem finish as runner-up. Dis year, dem no even reach final. Dem go come home with nothing. But di only consolation be say di semi-final qualification don guarantee dem place for di 32-nation Women’s World Cup for Brazil next year. So dem go still see action for world stage.
Algeria don also secure di travel ticket to Brazil. Cameroon and Malawi wey be di giant killers go play di final for Sunday. Dem don book dia place too. And for di remaining slots, South Africa and Ghana fit join di party if dem qualify from inter-continental play-offs. So Africa go get up to six representatives for di World Cup.
