Nine (9) time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria have been knocked out of the tournament after suffering a 5-4 penalty shoot-out loss to Morocco in the semifinals. The Falcons were reduced to nine (9) women after being brandished two (2) red cards in normal proceedings.
A record spectator of 42,500 came to witness what many tagged the game of the tournament between the Super Falcons and, host, the Atlas Lionesses at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco. The Falcons were reduced to nine women after Halimatu Ayinde and Rasheedat Ajibade were both sent off in the second half.
A 62nd-minute own goal from Yasmin Mrabet gave the Falcons the lead before a close-range equalizer from Sanaa Mssoudy. The game went on to extra time, and as result could not be determined, the game headed for spot kicks.
Ifeoma Onumonu then sent her effort straight at goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi in the ensuing penalty shootout, the only play to miss her kick, to hand the hosts their biggest victory in women's football.
The win was the first ever for the Lionesses against the defending champions, after previously losing 8-0 at the 1998 edition of the WAFCON in Kaduna and 6-0 at the 2000 edition in South Africa to their foes. Morocco will now play South Africa, who edged Zambia in the other last-four clash, in the final, while Nigeria will play the latter.
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