The Black Queens of Ghana were at their imperial best in the second half of their final group game against Tanzania. It was a must-win match for the Queens, and they also hoped that the Bayana Bayana of South Africa would do them a favour against Mali by beating them.
Tanzania came into the game higher in confidence after frustrating the defending champions Bayana Bayana by drawing 1-1. With a win for them, they also could have qualified, depending on what was going to happen between South Africa and Mali.
Forward Princella Adubea’s pressing resulted in a lucky goal when she blocked goalkeeper Najat Idrisa’s kick. The slow build-up from Tanzania profited Ghana. The Twiga Stars restored parity with just five minutes of regulation time to end the first half when Athumani’s shot was not cleared by Ghana’s defence. The first half ended 1-1.
Elsewhere in Oujda, South Africa was leading Mali by 2-0 at half time, making the next 45 minutes a make-or-break in Ghana’s game against Tanzania.
Kim Bjorkegren’s women stepped up and scored three times to win 4-1. A penalty from Alice Kusi in he 63rd minute put Ghana ahead. Evelyn Badu and Boye-Hlorkah’s quick goals in the 87th and 90th minutes ended Tanzania’s dreams. Bayana Bayan scored two more to make it 4-0, paving the way for Ghana to win the second slot ahead of Mali. Ghana qualified because they had a superior goal (+1) compared to Mali’s (-3).
The Quarter Finals Fixtures
Friday 18th July
*Nigeria v Zambia 4 pm
*Morocco v Mali 7 pm
Saturday 19th July
*Algeria v Ghana 4 pm
*South Africa v Senegal 7 pm
The quarter finals will commence on Friday with a blockbuster match between Zambia and Nigeria. The game could be the biggest of the tournament, looking at the form and squads of the two teams.
Host Nation Morocco will face Mali, which won one of the two slots in the 3rd best teams rankings. The West Africans will have to triple their efforts to have any chance of eliminating the host, who will be backed by a sea of red colours.
On Saturday, Ghana will face North African side Algeria, who, alongside Nigeria, have the best defence in the competition. The Algerians finished second in Group B after winning 5 points. The Algerians drew goalless against Tunisia and Nigeria after beating Botswana 1-0. Black queens will have the upper hand due to their experience at this level, but must fully prepare for the tie.
The final quarter-final fixture will be between South Africa and Senegal. The defending champions are the favourites, having played decent football in the ongoing tournament.
