Ahead WAFCON 2025: Ghana, Morocco, suffer defeats, Tunisia wins in friendlies 

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

Host of the forthcoming CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Morocco have suffered their first defeat in the build-up to the competition slated for the North African nation in July after losing 0-1 to Cameroon’s senior women’s football team yesterday in their  international friendly match  played in Casablanca.

This is even as six Morocco-bound African countries tested their skills against tough oppositions within and outside the continent in preparation for the biggest African women’s football competition later in the year. They are Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia.

In Morocco, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon defeated Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses courtesy of the 19′ strike by veteran forward Gabrielle Onguene, who plays for CSKA Moscow women’s football club in Russia.

Also, the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal avenged her earlier one nil  loss by defeating Ghana’s Black Queens 1-0 in the reserve fixture of the two-legged international friendly matches played yesterday in Thiès, Senegal.

Ghana’s forward Hapsatou Diallo of Galatasaray Women’s FC of Turkey scored the crucial goal in the 89′.

Elsewhere, WAFCON defending champions South Africa once again defeated Malawi 2-1 in the second match of the second FIFA women’s international match window of the year played in South Africa.

Although Malawi scored first through striker Vanessa Chikupira in the 58′, Club Tijuana women’s football club of China’s  midfielders, Hildah Magaia and Amogelang Motau, scored two goals for Banyana Banyana in the 75′ and 86′ respectively to win the encounter 2-1 on the day. South Africa had thrashed Malawi 3-0 last Friday.

The Copper Queens of Zambia beat Uzbekistan senior women’s team 4-3 in a seven goals thriller in far away Yongchuan Sports Centre in China on Tuesday to compensate for the loss to Thailand last week. Zambia goals came from Ireen Lungu (24′); Mercy Chipasula (26′); Fridah Mukoma (46′) and Kabange Mupopo (73′) respectively.

But Uzbekistan staged a late fight back by scoring three times courtesy of Feruza Turdiboeva in the 51′ and Trabzonspor women’s football club of Turkey’s Diyorakhon Khabibullaeva in the 90′ and 90+2′.

However, Nigeria’s group opponents in WAFCON 2025, Tunisia senior women’s football team bounced back to reckoning by beating the Moroccan U-23 ladies 4-2 in their second match away from home as the Atlas Lionesses engaged Cameroon in the second match instead of Tunisia.

In Cairo,  the Egyptian senior women’s football team again thrashed Jordan 5-1 to complete  a double over their Arab neighbours who they walloped 3-0 four days ago just as Ivory Coast also defeated Kenya 2-0 in the reverse fixture after Kenya lost by the same margin to the Ivorians in the first game last Friday.

Meanwhile, the next FIFA women’s international match windows will run from May 26 to June 3 with two matches on the card while the last before WAFCON 2025 begins in Morocco holds from June 23 to July 5 with up to four matches guaranteed for teams wishing to play international friendly games during the international window.

Latest Results of Women’s International Friendlies:

* Morocco 0 – 1 Cameroon

* South Africa 2 – 1 Malawi

* Senegal 1 – 0 Ghana

* Zambia 4 – 3 Uzbekistan

* Egypt 5 – 1 Jordan

* Ivory Coast 2 – 0 Kenya

WAFCON 2025 QUALIFIED TEAMS

– Algeria

– Botswana

 *Ghana*

– Mali

– *Morocco* (host)

– Nigeria

 *Senegal*

– *South Africa* (Reining champions)

– Tanzania

– Democratic Republic of Congo

– *Tunisia*

– *Zambia*