Casablanca: There are two intriguing semi-final clashes in store at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Tuesday. First up, nine-time champions Nigeria have a tie against defending champions South Africa in Casablanca at 16:00 GMT. Then, in Rabat, hosts Morocco face Ghana, the lowest-ranked side remaining, at 19:00.
According to BBC, Nigeria delivered a statement to the rest of the continent when they defeated Zambia 5-0 in Casablanca in the last eight. Former Super Falcons striker Desire Oparanozie described the scoreline as "unexpected" but noted an improvement from their group stage outings. "The Super Falcons have that winning mentality - they show up for big games," she told Sportsworld on the BBC World Service.
The onus is now on the West Africans to maintain that performance against another of the continent's top sides when they return to the Larbi Zaouli Stadium. "We hope to keep this mentality," goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie told the BBC World Service. "Big games define Nigeria." Nigeria has not conceded in their quest for a record-extending 10th Wafcon crown, dubbed Mission X. South Africa will pose a challenging obstacle. They advanced past Senegal 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw and have had 24 hours less to recover and travel.
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says her players will not use that as an excuse. "One hundred and 20 minutes with a day less to prepare, with a day to travel, takes a lot out of you. But I don't have enough words to describe this team: the resilience, the courage, the never-say-die attitude, the willingness to fight for each other."
Nigeria defeated South Africa in the Wafcon final in both 2000 and 2018, but Ellis' side triumphed 2-1 when they met in the group stage three years ago. "They are the defending champions and the pressure is really on them," Oparanozie said. "The rivalry has been on for years and the semi-final is going to be a tough one for Nigeria. The Mission X agenda has been pushed. South Africa seemed to be the only team that would actually prevent Nigeria from achieving that."
Atlas Lionesses eye return to final. The tournament hosts remain on track for a second successive appearance in the final after defeating Mali 3-1. A fervent home crowd at the 21,000-capacity Olympic Stadium is expected to cheer on the Atlas Lionesses. "The public that has come to the stadium has helped us from the first moment," coach Jorge Vilda said.
Ghana is back in the last four for the first time since 2016, having overcome Algeria on penalties after a 0-0 draw on Saturday. Their coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren is not fazed by the likelihood of a partisan crowd and thinks his side could feed off any nerves amongst the home fans. "It can help you if you have a good day as a home country, but I know it can be the opposite," the Swede said.
According to Moroccan journalist Saad Moufakkir, the 44-year-old has added extra layers to the North Africans' game since his appointment in October 2023. "He brings the Spanish vibe and now we are better as a unit," he said. "We are confident we can finish games earlier. With this coach, especially on the tactical level, I think we have a lot of weapons. We can attack from the wings, we can go through the middle and we can press high or sit back and wait for the counters. We have got options and I think this is the biggest impact [he had on] the national team."
