**To Meet Hosts Morocco On Tuesday At 8pm In Rabat.
The Black Queens of Ghana on Saturday at the Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco subdued the irrepressible Fennecos (little Foxes) of Algeria 4-2 in penalty shootouts after 120 minutes of goalless football, a tournament record of the first match to end via sudden death at the Women’s African Football Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinal match.
Ghana were more superior on paper and expected to win but a lone strike scored in the 31st minute of play was overruled by VAR.
Ghana scored four of their five penalty kicks while Algeria lost two an act which made the CAF Best Goalkeeper of the Group Stages, 29 year old goal tender for Marseille FC of France, Chloe N’Gazi looked like a minnow leaving Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie current Best Goalkeeper an opportunity to retain that title.
Taleb Muller stepped forward to take the first kick after Algeria won the toss and scored; Belloumon missed the 2nd kick; Guellati scored hers and M. Dafeur lost the opportunity to take Algeria to her first ever semifinal by shooting wide.
The Black Queens scoring quartet were Badu, Boye Horkah, Boaduwaa and Josephine Kyerewaa in that order.
To get to the quarterfinals, Algeria in Group B played goalless with fellow North Africans, Tunisia; beat Botswana by a lone goal and also played goalless with Nigeria moving with only one goal scored and three clean slates meaning the country is goal shy but has a good defence.
Ghana lost to South Africa 0-2; played 1-1 with Mali and thrashed Tanzania 4-1 scoring 5 goals and conceding 4 meaning the attack can score but the defence is weak.
They met some five times. At Namibia on 22nd October 2014 Algeria piped Ghana by a lone goal; Ghana won by a lone goal on 23rd January 2015; in 2010 Ghana won 2-1; Ghana also won by a lone goal on 17th November 2018 and on 5th January 2022 Algeria beat Ghana 3-0.
The Fennecs of Algeria ranked 82 in the world has never been to the world cup but appeared 6 times at WAFCON. This is the first time the team is getting into the quarterfinals as all previous appearances in 2004, 2006, 2010 2014 and 2018 ended at the group stages. The Algerians again in 2025 convulsed at their first quarterfinal.
The Black Queens of Ghana ranked 66 in the world appeared three times at the world cup but was knocked out in 1999, 2003 and 2007 at the group stages. Ghana never won the WAFCON title but were Runners-up thrice in 1998, 2002 and 2006; won Bronze also thrice in 2000, 2004 and 2016; placed 4th once in 1995; Quarterfinals once in 1991 and lost at the group stages four times.
Rwanda Ref, Aline Umutoni was in charge assisted by another Rwandan, Alice Umutesi and Fides Bangurambona of Burundi while the 4th official is Josephine Wanjiku of Kenya.
Later at 8pm tonight the last quarterfinal match shall be played between Former Champions and Nigeria’s arch rivals, South Africa and Senegal at the Honneur Stadium, Oudja in Morocco.
The semifinals will be decided on Tuesday 22nd July where Nigeria will lock horns with the winner of the South Africa versus Senegal match at 5pm and at 8pm hosts Morocco that has been scoring penalty goals in each of their matches will trade tackles with Ghana.
The 3rd place match is scheduled for Friday 25th at 8pm while the grand finale will be on Saturday 26th July at 9pm.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
