History beckons for Morocco, South Africa

History beckons as the continent gets ready to usher in a completely new Women Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champion tonight at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The hosts will have a partisan crowd filling the stadium to the rafters rallying them.
Coach Reynald Pedros has asked his players to “learn to win” and they proved they were heeding to the message of this man who has previously guided Lyon’s women to two French and two Uefa Champions League titles, when they came from 1-0 down to oust favourites and 11-time champions Nigeria 5-4 on penalties on Monday.
Their squad is littered with crafty forwards. Captain and free-kick specialist Ghizlane Chebbak is a forward thinking midfielder whose craft is complemented by either Sanaa Mssoudy or Salma Amani.

Fatima Tagnahout’s ingenuity from the wings is a marvel to watch as are her deliveries from dead-balls while Tottenham Hotspur forward Rosella Ayane is streetwise and draws fouls to devastating effect as Senegal, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Botswana and Nigeria found out.

South Africa’s time?
But in coach Desiree Ellis’ South Africa – voted the Caf Woman Coach of the Year on Thursday –, Morocco confront an equally motivated side.
South Africa hope to be lucky this time after losing five Wafcon finals – three to Nigeria (1995, 2000, 2018) and two to Equatorial Guinea (2008 and 2012).
South Africans will be happy that they do not have to confront Nigeria in another final – although the Banyanya Banyana came out 2-1 winners in the sides’ group opener at this tournament.

But they will look at those two losses that happened in Malabo and hope that they do not have the knack of giving away the trophy to inspired hosts – yet the Banyana Banyana were not as lucky when they hosted in 2000, 2004 and 2010.

The words of encouragement and on what is possible away from home should come from the Mamelodi Sundowns players in the squad; goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, defenders Karabo Dhlamini and Mbane Bambanani midfielder Thalea Smidt and striker Melinda Kgadiete – who won the inaugural Caf Women’s Champions League in Morocco last November.
However, South Africa have struggled with finding attacking solutions since the injury to their star forward Thembi Kgatlana in the 1-0 win over Botswana in their last group match.

In the group stage, Kgatlana shared striking roles with Jermaine Seoposenwe, who was used as a lone striker in the 1-0 laboured win over Tunisia in the quarterfinals then she was paired with Kgadiete in the semis.
But that changed little as they needed a controversial stoppage time penalty to oust fellow Cosafa side Zambia 1-0.
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