Sports
HOSTS ASFAR Ladies won 1-0 against Nigeria’s Bayelsa Queens on Wednesday to set up a final match date with title-holders Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Ibtissam Jraidi’s first half effort was all the Moroccan side required to guarantee their place in the final match of the competition which is in its second edition.
The Yenagoa-based Prosperity Girls started like a house on fire as Chinyere Igbomalu, Juliet Sunday and Maryann Ezenagu all saw their moments in front of goal.
But they could not convert any of their begging goalscoring chances in the opening 15 minutes.
However, the Moroccans soaked the pressure before turning on the heat on the Nigerian defence.
They found the breakthrough when Fatima Tagnaout raced through from the left wing to tee up Jraidi to break the deadlock in the 27th minute.
Bayelsa Queens fought hard to find a response through the efforts of Sunday and Igbomalu but the home side defended strongly to retain their lead.
Bayelsa Queens resumed the game strongly by producing goalscoring chances off Glory Edet’s powerful strike and two headers from Sunday which went wide within 15 minutes.
Late substitutes Flourish Sabastine and Etim Edidiong almost proved a huge bargain as the Nigerian side piled pressure on the Moroccan defence which nevertheless hung on to celebrate the win.
The result helped the hosts to surpass their previous best of last year, when they bowed to Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana in the semi-final in Egypt.
It also helped Morocco to complete a double over Nigeria, having stopped the Super Falcons at the same stage in July at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Morrocan Army side will now meet defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the final match on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
That was the venue of South Africa’s defeat of Morocco while winning the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July.
For Bayelsa Queens, they will now turn their attention to earning a consolatory third-place finish when they face Simba Queens at the Moulay Hassan Complex on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Jraidi claimed her second Woman of the Match prize following her match-winning strike with her third goal of the tournament in her side’s slim win over the WAFU-B champions.(NAN)
KN
Tags: ASFAR Ladies Bayelsa Queens Maryann Ezenagu
