Women's African Cup of Nations 2024: Morocco vs Nigeria in the Final
The final of the 2024 Women's African Nations Championship CAN is officially set: Morocco and Nigeria will face off on Saturday, July 26, at 20pm GMT, in another chapter in the affirmation of African women's football.
The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco secured their place in the final for the second consecutive year after a close duel against Ghana, decided only on penalties (4-2) after a XNUMX-XNUMX draw at the end of extra time.
On the other side of the draw, the mighty Super Falcons of Nigeria, record holders of continental titles, beat the defending champions, South Africa, 2-1 in the final moments. Super Falcons They scored first, saw their opponent equalize, but secured victory in stoppage time with a decisive goal from Michelle Alozie.
In the third-place match, scheduled for the day before, Friday, July 25, at 19 p.m. GMT, Ghana and South Africa will try to save face in a competition where they have demonstrated quality and combativeness.
On a continent where women's sport still faces multiple challenges, this edition of the Women's CAN highlights a new generation of talent and the growing investment in women's football.
Nigeria vs South Africa
This was expected to be the biggest clash of the semifinals, and it lived up to expectations. Nigeria, the nation with the most titles in the history of the Women's African Cup, faced South Africa, the defending champion, in one of the greatest derbies in African women's football.
As Super Falcons took the lead at the end of the first half, with Rasheedat Ajibade converting a penalty in the 45th minute. However, it only took fifteen minutes after the start of the second half for the Banyana Banyana restore equality, through Linda Motlhalo, in the 60th minute.
In an extremely physical match, South African defender Tiisetso Makhubela ended up leaving the field injured after just 26 minutes. The players, under Desiree Ellis's command, fought bravely to retain the title but ultimately surrendered in the final moments.
Michelle Alozie scored the winning goal for Nigeria in added time (90+4), sealing their qualification for the final – their first since 2018, when Nigeria won their 11th continental title. South Africa, meanwhile, will now play for third place.
Morocco vs Ghana
In the other semifinal, Ghana took the lead, with Stella Nyamekye standing out. The Gotham FC (USA) forward opened the scoring for the Black Queens in the 26th minute.
Ghana held the lead until half-time, but conceded early in the second half when Sakina Ouzraoui – a Barcelona native and UD Tenerife player – restored parity with a well-struck strike.
Motivated by the equalizer, Jorge Vilda's players intensified the pressure on Ghana's defense, but were unable to convert their dominance into goals in regulation time. The match then went to penalties, where Morocco won 4-2.
The Atlas Lionesses will face Nigeria in the final scheduled for this Saturday, July 26, at 20 pm GMT, while Ghana and South Africa will play for third place the day before, at 19 pm GMT.
Conclusion
With two teams at different stages, but equally determined, the 2024 Women's AFCON final promises to be a tactical and emotional battle between Nigeria's historic power and Morocco's renewed ambition.
Beyond the sporting glory, this clash also symbolizes the growth of women's football on the continent, in a context where the affirmation of women in sport takes on new dimensions.
The third-place playoff between Ghana and South Africa further reinforces Africa's prominence in women's football, projecting a generation of increasingly high-quality athletes who are increasingly visible on the world stage.
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Picture: © 2025 Francisco Lopes-Santos
