Morocco And Zambia Draw Opening Match Of Wafcon 2024

Two of Africa's champion players turned connected nan style arsenic hosts Morocco struck precocious to gain themselves a 2-2 tie against Zambia successful an unfastened and entertaining first crippled of nan 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).

Both sides are viewed arsenic among nan favourites to assistance nan caller Wafcon trophy successful 3 weeks' time, meaning this crippled was ever apt to connection up a mouth-watering commencement to nan tournament.

It was near to Morocco talisman Ghizlane Chebbak to rescue a constituent for her side, curling a long-range onslaught into nan apical area successful nan 88th infinitesimal to spark chaotic celebrations among unit and players connected nan touchline.

Until that constituent it had looked arsenic if Zambia skipper Barbra Banda, nan reigning African subordinate of nan year, would bargain nan headlines, having scored wrong nan first infinitesimal connected what was her first ever Wafcon appearance.

The guardant besides group up Racheal Kundananji's 27th-minute goal, which came aft Ibtissam Jraidi's penalty, awarded pinch nan thief of VAR, had concisely seen Morocco level.

The tie leaves Group A wide open, pinch nan hosts' adjacent crippled coming against DR Congo successful Rabat connected Wednesday, nan aforesaid time connected which Zambia look Senegal successful Mohammedia.

Banda, 25, came into nan tourney disconnected nan backmost of a stellar 12 months which saw her besides named BBC Women's Footballer of nan Year, people nan winning extremity for nine broadside Orlando Pride successful nan National Women's Soccer League Championship final, and go Africa's all-time starring scorer - antheral aliases female - successful Olympic football.

However, she had been forced to hold a agelong clip to make her people astatine a Wafcon.

An unused personnel of nan Copper Queens squad successful 2018, she saw nan 2020 version cancelled owed to nan coronavirus pandemic and missed retired successful 2022 amid disorder complete 'gender eligibility' rules, pinch nan business later resolved.

But her first publication connected African football's biggest shape caused evident fearfulness successful nan Moroccan rearguard, pinch 3 defenders backing disconnected arsenic Banda carried nan shot from nan halfway statement to nan separator of nan box.

Her changeable was connected target but should person been saved by goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi, who someway allowed it to squirm past her to supply a genuinely electrical start.

But Morocco, who dominated pinch complete 70% of possession passim nan game, were not down for long.

Play was initially waved connected by referee Shamirah Nabadda pursuing a clumsy situation wrong nan container by Grace Chanda connected chap midfielder Najat Badri, but nan video adjunct referee advised Nabadda to spell to nan show and nan Ugandan duly overturned her original decision.

Jraidi made nary correction from nan spot, hitting nan shot precocious into nan nett to level proceedings successful nan 12th minute, lifting nan measurement wrong nan Olympic Stadium, nan venue which will besides big nan last connected 26 July.

Orlando Pride guardant Banda past showed her people again 15 minutes later, uncovering clip connected nan shot to descent a defence-splitting walk into nan way of different subordinate based successful nan USA, Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji, Africa's astir costly player, who vanished calmly past Er-Rmichi.

And heavy successful first-half wounded time, Banda looked group to pat location different extremity astatine nan backmost post, only to spot Morocco full-back Hanane Ait El Haj propulsion disconnected an astonishing headed clearance from her ain extremity line.

In a 2nd half that saw players connected some sides visibly tyre arsenic clip ticked away, Morocco struggled to carve retired clear chances.

With caller leader Jorge Vilda, nan man who masterminded Spain's World Cup triumph successful 2023, prowling nan touchline, nan Atlas Lionesses looked to group to go nan first hosts to suffer an opening lucifer since South Africa were defeated by Ghana successful 2004.

Er-Rmichi had already made partial amends for her earlier correction by redeeming a tame header from Banda earlier Fatima Tagnaout blazed complete from a tight perspective aft being played done by Chebbak.

Operating successful a deep-lying playmaker role, Chebbak, who turns 35 adjacent month, was a people supra pinch nan shot astatine her feet.

And pinch only 2 minutes of normal clip remaining, it was nan Morocco skipper who played a captain's role, uncovering a infinitesimal of value to loop nan shot beyond nan scope of nan flat-footed Zambia keeper Petronella Musole.

Inspired by her begetter Larbi Chebbak, a personnel of Morocco's legendary Nations Cup-winning broadside from 1976, Ghizlane will dream her extremity is nan spark that ignites different tally to final, and a changeable astatine redemption for nan hosts, who finished arsenic runners-up to South Africa connected location ungraded astatine nan past Wafcon.