Staff Reporter.
There was home delight for Morocco on Wednesday as they qualified for the Women’s World Cup, booking a first ever place at the tournament after beating Botswana 2-1 in Rabat.
Victory in the quarterfinal of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals ensured they will take one of the four places for Africa at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Morocco will join Zambia, who became the first of the African qualifiers with a narrow penalty shootout victory over Senegal in their earlier quarterfinal on Wednesday in Casablanca.
Backed by a passionate crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium, Morocco got off to a dream start with a goal after only three minutes.
Influential midfielder Fatima Tagnaout played in a shallow freekick that Sanaa Mssoudy provided a sliding touch to, steering the ball into the net to the delight of the supporters.
But the lead lasted all of seven minutes as Botswana swept in a freekick of their own with Keitumetse Dithebe hammering home a powerful left-footed effort from outside the area that proved too hot to handle for Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi.
Botswana, competing at the first Wafcon, showed they were not overawed by the occasion although Morocco looked a little sharper before the break, with English-born striker Rosella Ayane sweeping an around-the-corner effort just wide one minutes before halftime.
Mssoudy had her 49th minute shot plucked out of the air by Botswana’s impressive goalkeeper Maitumelo Boseja while Morocco kept up the pressure as Sabah Seghir turned well to shoot but hit wide in the 54th minute.
Four minutes later, the hosts went back ahead as Tagnaout delivered a high ball to the back post to allow defender Yasmin Mrabet to score with a forceful downward header that crept past Boseja.
Mssoudy hit the woodwork with 15 minutes left with a shot from the edge of the area as Botswana looked to be wilting under the constant pressure from a Morocco side who looked much fitter.
It was Morocco’s fourth win at Wafcon, after a 100 per cent run in the group phase, and they now meet either Cameroon or Nigeria in the semifinal next week.