Pro Philani looks back at the past weekend’s local football as the Hollywoodbets Super League continues, the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is underway in Morocco and more!
Hollywoodbets Super League
TUT completed 5 wins in a row when they defeated resurgent Durban Ladies 1-0 in uMlaza’s King Zwelithini Stadium. The victory took TUT to second position on the log, 2 points off leaders Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the Hollywoodbets Super League.
Banyana Banyana is participating in African Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco where the finalists will qualify for Women’s FIFA World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand later in 2023.
Banyana will be opening their AWCON against their number one nemesis, Nigeria. They have not lost an opening match against Nigeria and the last time these two sides met in the opening match Banyana won 1-0.
BANYANA BANYANA DAY!!!
— LeKoKo (@UncappedLekoko) July 4, 2022
Another day as lovers of football we get to witness the beautiful game. Even Eskom seem to be patriotic vandag. It’s the #WAFCON !!! A RE BONENG!
Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs South Africa 🇿🇦 (19:00) #TotalEnergiesWAFCON #GoodLuckBanyanaBanyana
Mara jersey #12 🥵 pic.twitter.com/AWHI4EMXYv
AWCON Morocco 2022
Morocco began their 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a win against debutants, Burkina Faso, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat on Saturday.
The match was preceded by a spectacular opening ceremony which paid tribute to women, Moroccan and African culture.
The match started with great enthusiasm and cheers from the crowd who were obviously vouching for the home team.
The hosts scored the opening and only goal of the match through a free-kick by Ghizlane Chebbak in the 29th minute of the match after referee Salima Mukansanga, from Rwanda, had awarded Morocco a second free-kick after a VAR review of a foul just outside the box.
The Burkinabe had one decent chance which could’ve given them an equalizer but the attackers failed to capitalize on the chance. Morocco’s coach would be worried about his side poor finishing and inability to beat the gallant Burkinabe keeper, Mirriam Ouattara, at most times and will look to rectify these mistakes before they play their second match.
NO BETTER WAY TO MAKE YOUR #TotalEnergiesWAFCON DEBUT!🤩
— #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 (@CAFwomen) July 4, 2022
🇹🇳 Mariem Houij‘s sublime finish wins our 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲! 🦅 #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 | #EmpoweringOurGame | @_1xbet_Eng pic.twitter.com/cJ7ueCkh8Y
Still in Group A, Senegal defeated Uganda 2-0 at Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex through goals scored in each half by Ndeye Diakate from the penalty spot in the 39th minute and Nguenar Ndiaye in the 50th minute, to seal a comfortable win and top the group on goal difference.
In Group B, Zambia and Cameroon played an entertaining goalless draw, as both sides were physical in their approach. The crowd cheered and encouraged both teams to attack each other at every given opportunity but the physicality of the match reduced the chances created at both ends.
Zambia came into this tournament dealing with the blow of losing starlet Barbara Banda. The 22-year-old Banda has been the face of women’s football in Zambia in recent years and made her mark globally at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when she became the first-ever player in Olympics history to score back-to-back hattricks.
Her resilience, never-say-die attitude and fearlessness in front of goal have been at the heart of her rise in the last five years since she switched from boxing to the beautiful game at the age of 16.
Her tenacity right from when she featured at the 2017 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica to finishing as top scorer of the Chinese league in 2020, scoring 18 goals in 13 games, has grown from strength to strength and it rubs off on the rest of her teammates.
📹 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: 🇸🇳 2-0 🇺🇬 #TeamSenegal edge past #TeamUganda to earn a historical first #TotalEnergiesWAFCON victory 🦁 #TotalEnergiesWAFCON | #EmpoweringOurGame | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/x4sFMTEhHC
— #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 (@CAFwomen) July 3, 2022
Tunisia vs Togo
Marriem Houij of Tunisia scored what would be the fastest goal in the history of WAFCON after just 27 seconds.
The North Africans showed no mercy on the debutants, Togo, as they scored their second goal in the 12th minute. The Togolese pulled one back from the penalty spot to make it 2-1. The second half started on a higher note and at the stroke of halftime the Tunisians scored a third goal.
In the 70th minute, the Togolese keeper had an embarrassing moment when she carried a harmless shot into her own goal to give the Tunisians a 4-1 lead and win.
Tunisia climbed to the top of Group B, 2 points clear of Zambia and Cameroon.
#TeamTunisia scored in the first 20 seconds of the match as they thrashed #TeamTogo 4-1 in their #TotalEnergiesWAFCON opener. pic.twitter.com/QfeNIJ93Nb
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 3, 2022
