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Host nation Morocco will lock horns with West African heavyweights Ghana in a high-stakes Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final at the Stade Olympique in Rabat today (July 22), with both sides eyeing a historic spot in the final and a shot at their first-ever continental title.
For Ghana’s Black Queens, this marks a long-awaited return to the semi-finals — their first since 2016 — and a golden opportunity to reach the WAFCON final for the first time in nearly two decades.
Morocco, runners-up in the 2022 edition, are seeking to go one step further this time around by making back-to-back finals and lifting the trophy in front of their home crowd.
The Atlas Lionesses have been one of the tournament’s most exciting teams, topping Group A with two wins and a draw. They have scored 10 goals so far — more than any other side — and looked sharp in their 3–1 quarter-final win over Mali where Ibtissam Jraïdi struck twice, while Kenza Chapelle added a late goal. Captain Ghizlane Chebbak is joint-top scorer with four goals.
Ghana’s journey has been more dramatic. After opening with a 2–0 loss to defending champions South Africa and a 1–1 draw with Mali, the Black Queens found their rhythm with a 4–1 thrashing of Tanzania to qualify for the knockout stage.
In the quarter-finals, they held their nerve against Algeria in a tense goalless affair, eventually prevailing in a penalty shootout thanks to two decisive saves from goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan.
While Ghana and Morocco have never met in a competitive WAFCON fixture, they’ve faced off five times in friendlies — with Morocco winning three and Ghana claiming two. Their most recent meeting came in February 2025, when Morocco edged Ghana 1-0.
As both teams gear up for their biggest test of the tournament, the stakes could not be higher. A win would mean a place in the final — and a chance to make history.