Fireworks in Rabat as South Africa go for Morocco’s scalp in 2022 WAFCON final match today 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

History awaits the winner of the 12th CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final match between South Africa and hosts Morocco in  Complexe Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, capita of Morocco, as the will join Nigeria and  Equitorial Guinea as the only three nations in Africa to lift the trophy.

This is even as  Africans are waiting to see if South Africa or Morocco will be the new champions today after defending champions Nigeria was dethroned by Morocco at the semi final stage following a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win by the host nation.

On paper, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana has better pedigree than the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco if their performances over the years in WAFCON are anything to rely upon.

South Africa are participating in their fifth WAFCON final. They have now reached a final in Central, West, North and Southern Africa and are the first team to reach WAFCON finals in four hemispheres of the continent. It is the first time they have reached back-to-back finals.

Also, this is South Africa’s 7th meeting with a WAFCON host as they have lost all of their previous six encounters against the hosts. Morocco are the fourth host nation they will face along with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. It was their third meeting in a final with a host. They lost to Equatorial Guinea in 2008 and 2012.

South Africa have won four games at the current tournament by a single goal, they have won their last three games 1-0. They only won a game in Morocco by a greater margin against Burundi 3-1 in the group stages.

But Head Coach Desiree Ellis who also took the Banyana Banyana to the nail-biting WAFCON final in Ghana in 2018, will want to lift the trophy this time around at a her second try.

Should Ellis setup her team well like she did against Super Falcons of Nigeria in the Group C opener in Rabat three weeks ago then Morocco will be outclassed by the South Africans.

Victory for South Africa or Morocco today will hand them their first WAFCON title,  although host nations have lost in the final twice previously, South Africa in 2000 and Cameroon in 2016, both to Nigeria.

Victory for either nation will see them become the second country along with Nigeria to have their men’s and women’s teams crowned continental champions. Morocco were AFCON winners in 1976 and South Africa in 1996.

However, Atlas Lionesses’ French coach Reynald Pedros is a man in a mission and we be delighted to leave a lasting legacy for the Moroccans by grinding out victory over South Africa today in Rabat.