WAFCON: Ghana secures bronze with penalty over South Africa
Ghana’s Black Queens. Photo Credit- Ghanasoccernet
The Ghana Black Queens claimed the bronze medal at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations- WAFCON after defeating South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at Stade Larbi Zaouli on Friday night.
The third-place playoff match saw South Africa take the lead in the 45th minute when Nonhlanhla Mthandi capitalized on a goalkeeping error by Ghana’s Cynthia Konlan, slotting the ball into the net to give Banyana Banyana a 1-0 advantage at halftime. Ghana responded in the second half, with Alice Kusi equalizing in the 68th minute via a header that looped over South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini after a well-delivered cross, despite Bongeka Gamede’s attempt to clear the ball off the line.
The match remained tightly contested, with neither side able to find a winning goal in regulation time, leading to a penalty shootout. Ghana’s Black Queens held their nerve, converting four of their attempts, while Evelyn Badu’s miss was offset by a crucial save by Konlan on Comfort Yeboah’s attempt, securing a 4-3 shootout victory for Ghana.
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The win marks a significant achievement for Ghana, who reached the knockout stages of WAFCON for the first time since 2016 and avenged their 2-0 group-stage loss to South Africa earlier in the tournament. Despite a challenging campaign that included a 2-0 defeat to South Africa, a 1-1 draw with Mali, a 4-1 victory over Tanzania, and a penalty shootout win against Algeria in the quarter-finals, the Black Queens showed resilience to secure third place.
South Africa, the defending champions, were unable to repeat their 2022 title-winning performance, having been eliminated by Nigeria in the semi-finals. Despite their strong group-stage showings, including victories over Ghana (2-0) and Mali (4-0), Banyana Banyana fell short in their bid for a podium finish.
The 2024 WAFCON, hosted in Morocco from July 5 to 26, will see Nigeria face Morocco in the final, with the hosts aiming to claim their first-ever title and Nigeria seeking a record-extending 10th championship. Ghana’s bronze medal marks their return to the podium, having last reached the final in 2006, and underscores their potential to compete among Africa’s elite women’s football teams.Sources:
