The 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final is set, and it brings together two nations with everything to prove—Nigeria hunting a 10th crown, and Morocco chasing their first-ever title in front of a home crowd. www.naijnaira.com reports.
According to reports, the final match takes place at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Saturday, July 26, where the Super Falcons will battle the Atlas Lionesses in what promises to be an intense and emotionally charged encounter.
Nigeria reached the final unbeaten, dominating Group B with wins over Tunisia and Botswana and a draw against Algeria.
They crushed Zambia 5-0 in the quarterfinals and edged defending champions South Africa 2-1 in the semi-final, with Michelle Alozie scoring the dramatic winner in added time.
Morocco, led by coach Jorge Vilda, drew their opener with Zambia, saw a Ghizlane Chebbak hat-trick lift them over DR Congo, and narrowly beat Senegal 1-0 to top Group A.
Their knockout run included a 3-1 victory against Mali and a nervy penalty win over Ghana following a 1-1 draw, with goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi’s saves proving crucial.
The upcoming final will be the fourth WAFCON meeting between the two teams, with Nigeria holding two massive wins in 1998 and 2000, but Morocco winning their last clash via penalties in 2022 after a 1-1 draw.
Morocco will rely on attackers like Chebbak and Ibtissam Jraïdi, who have combined for seven goals, but their defense has struggled—conceding six times in five games.
Nigeria, on the other hand, have built a balanced team under coach Justin Madugu, conceding just once (from a penalty), with eight different players scoring across the tournament.
Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has played a standout role, picking up three Woman of the Match awards and leading from the front with relentless energy.
“It’s emotional, a very emotional thing for me. It’s not easy to lead this incredible team to the final of the WAFCON,” said Ajibade.
Morocco’s veteran captain Chebbak, 34, leads the tournament scoring chart with four goals and brings clever movement and precise finishing that could trouble Nigeria.
Jorge Vilda said, “We worked hard to make it to the final. I am thinking about the Nigerian team that we will be playing in the final.”
Predicted lineups suggest a 4-3-3 for Nigeria and a 4-1-4-1 for Morocco, with tactical discipline expected to shape the game’s flow.
Kickoff is at 8:00 pm Nigerian time on Saturday, July 26, at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, with both nations determined to etch their names in WAFCON history.
A close contest is expected, but Nigeria’s experience and superior defensive record could tip the balance in their favour.
Article updated 3 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
