South Africa already know how it feels to prevent Morocco from winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat.
They did it on 23 July 2022.
Hildah Magaia scored twice in the second half and Banyana Banyana won the final 2-1. Morocco had reached the final for the first time and played it in front of their home supporters.
Four years later, the two sides meet again in the same city. This time they cannot both reach the semi-finals or qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Only one will.
Hildah Magaia’s two goals
Morocco and South Africa have met only once at WAFCON.
It was that 2022 final.
The match remained goalless until the 62nd minute. Magaia opened the scoring in the 63rd and struck again eight minutes later. Rosella Ayane reduced the deficit in the 80th, but Morocco could not complete the comeback.
South Africa lifted the first WAFCON title in their history. Morocco received the runners-up medals in their first tournament appearance for twenty-two years.
Magaia remains part of Banyana Banyana.
She began this edition on the bench against Ivory Coast and came on after the interval with her side trailing 0-2. She had a goal disallowed in the 94th minute and scored the equaliser in the 99th.
South Africa again needed a late response to keep alive a campaign that had begun with a 1-2 defeat to Tanzania.
Morocco are yet to concede
The hosts enter the rematch without having conceded.
Morocco defeated Kenya 4-0 in their opening match, beat Algeria 1-0 and completed the group stage with a goalless draw against Senegal.
They are the only team to have finished the group stage without conceding.
Morocco achieved it by limiting their opponents to very few chances. Algeria generated only 0.07 expected goals and did not attempt a single shot from inside the penalty area. Senegal had nine attempts, but only two found the target.
The problem appeared at the other end of the pitch in the final group match.
Morocco attempted twenty-eight shots against Senegal, generated 2.41 expected goals and recorded forty-seven touches inside the opposition’s penalty area. They also had a penalty that had to be retaken.
They did not score.
Adji Ndiaye saved Yasmin Mrabet’s penalty and stopped it again when the kick was retaken. The Senegal goalkeeper finished with seven saves.
Morocco went through as group winners with seven points, but enter the quarter-finals after completing their first WAFCON match without scoring since 2000.
South Africa have needed all three results
South Africa have won, drawn and lost at this WAFCON.
They began by attempting twenty-four shots and generating 2.67 expected goals against Tanzania. They lost 1-2.
They then trailed Ivory Coast 0-2 at half-time, despite their opponents attempting only four shots. Thembi Kgatlana and Magaia rescued a draw after the interval.
They secured qualification in the final match with a 0-1 win over Burkina Faso.
Kgatlana scored in the 21st minute with South Africa’s only attempt on target. Banyana Banyana took fourteen shots and did not register another on target during the remaining 69 minutes.
South Africa have generated 5.88 expected goals across their three matches and scored four. They have also conceded four and kept their only clean sheet when they could no longer afford another slip.
Four points were enough to finish second in Group B.
Two home final defeats and nine consecutive semi-finals
Morocco have contested the last two WAFCON finals.
They lost the first to South Africa. In the next, they went 2-0 up against Nigeria before half-time and ended up losing 2-3.
Both were played in Rabat.
Morocco are now hosting the tournament for a third consecutive edition and risk going out before the semi-finals for the first time since returning in 2022.
South Africa have a different streak to protect.
Banyana Banyana have finished among the top four at each of the last nine editions. The run survived a group stage in which they entered the final match needing to win.
To reach a tenth consecutive semi-final, they must win in Rabat again.
The reward will be twofold. Morocco are seeking a second World Cup qualification after making their debut in 2023. South Africa are attempting to reach a third consecutive World Cup after appearing in 2019 and 2023.
The losing side will still have another opportunity. On 13 August, they will face the loser of Cameroon v Nigeria for one of Africa’s places in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
When and where Morocco v South Africa will be played
The match takes place at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Saturday 8 August.
Kick-off is at 21:00 local time and British Summer Time (20:00 GMT). The match is on Channel 4 in the UK, and free on CAF’s YouTube channel where there is no local broadcaster.
