Banyana Banyana of South Africa won the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship game against the Moroccan Atlas Lionesses 2-1 on Saturday.
Hildah Magaia scored twice in the space of eight minutes in the second half, after the hour mark, to give them the victory and propel them into their first tournament championship.
This broke Banyana Banyana’s streak of losing five straight finals, InsightnaijaTV reports, who finished this tournament with a perfect record.
This came after they qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand the following year.
Jermaine Seoposenwe, who sprinted for a long ball out of defense, provided a superb cutback that Magaia tapped home.
She used it to her advantage in the opening goal, holding off the defense to deliver a precise ball in the 63rd minute.
It softened the impact of the frantic mood that a sold-out Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium had produced.
Only a few weeks prior, South Africa’s men had lost to Morocco at this same location in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match.
Then, in the 71st minute, Magaia extended the advantage with another close-range goal, this time from a wide cross from Karabo Dhlamini that the Moroccan defense was unable to stop.
But South Africa lost control due to a break in focus.
The 80th-minute goal by Rosella Ayane, who had been set up by Fatima Tagnaout, gave Morocco a chance for a comeback.
For Desiree Ellis’ squad, this meant a stressful last 10 minutes, plus an additional nine minutes for the referee, before they could finally lift the championship.
The big crowd kept the tempo of the game high, cheering every Moroccan touch and every Banyana move with a cacophony of whistles.
After 11 minutes, there was a faint cry for a penalty kick, but Tagnaout’s challenge on Magaia within her own penalty area proved to be well timed even though it was hazardous.
The first 30 minutes passed without a scoring opportunity due to strong pressure from both sides that left little room for opportunities.
Nomvula Kgoale’s long-range free kick into the roof of the net in the 32nd minute gave South Africa a chance.
Three minutes later, Seoposenwe delivered an inch-perfect pass for Magaia, but Khadija Er-Rmichi, the home goalkeeper, bravely saved her left-footed shot.
Five minutes prior to halftime, Magaia was given another opportunity with a free kick.
But despite having what appeared to be an excellent opportunity, she was unable to properly bend the ball and went far off goal.
Ayane, a tall English-born attacker who attempted to drag the ball from behind her but failed to find the goal, gave Morocco their first genuine attempt a minute later.
Until Magaia started the scoring in the second half, the game was close. This suddenly gave the event a rousing conclusion.
