WAFCON: Nigeria In Final
..Pip South Africa 2-1
By Yadnom Awu/ Asaba
Nigeria tonight, torpedoed defending Champions, Bayana Bayana of South Africa, by two goals to one in a gruelling semi final encounter at the 2024 edition of the Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Championship holding in Morocco.
The win puts Nigeria in its 10th final game of WAFCON in its entire history.
Nigeria are the highest individual winners with nine triumphs.
South Africa has won it once, while Equatorial Guinea has earned it twice.
In tonight’s game, Nigeria proved dominant in the first 20 minutes and were unlucky not to have netted twice in quick succession, when resilient defending made Bayana Bayana not to concede.
With just minutes to the end of the first stanza , Nigeria got the lead when a spot kick was converted by Ajibade after a South African defender was punished for handling the ball in the vital 18 yard box.
On resumption, South Africa got more business- like, and, in the course of play earned a penalty which was converted for the well deserved equaliser .
South Africa almost grabbed the second goal of the game in the 73rd minute but a goal line clearance saved Nigeria.
In the 84th minute, South African ace, Gabriella, was hurt and taken off the pitch.
Minutes later, and as hopes faded for a winner to emerge, Nigeria got lucky as a lob by Alozie was misjudged by goalkeeper Dhlamini as she came under pressure from two Nigerian attackers.
And that was it:
Nigeria zoomed into the final of the 2024 edition of WAFCON and face the winner between Ghana and Morocco who vie for the second final ticket in the second semi final game of the night.
The overall winners of the current edition will go home with $1m ( about N1.6billion), the first runner up $500,000( N800m) and the third placed team, $300,000( about N400m).
