Nigeria stuns Morocco to claim 10th WAFCON title
Nigeria produced an epic comeback for the ages to beat Morocco 3-2 and claim the Women's Africa Cup of Nations having trailed the host nation 2-0 at half-time.
It was a second straight defeat in the final for Morocco, whose partisan support inside Stade Olympique in Rabat was left shell-shocked at the full-time whistle as the Atlas Lionesses again failed to win a first contintental title in heart-breaking circumstances.
Goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and a late winner by Joe Echegini completely overturned Morocco’s lead after a controversial penalty for the hosts late in the second period had been overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR).
Morocco raced out of the blocks and was two up after 24 minutes after captain Ghizlane Chebbak opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a brilliant strike from outside the box before Sanaa Mssoudy doubled the lead with a scuffed finish from inside the box.
But Nigeria, which had dubbed this tournament Mission X in its search for a 10th title, produced a sensational second-half turnaround, started on 64 minutes after a handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Okoronkwo.
Okoronkwo turned provider in the 71st minute, laying it on a plate for Ijamilusi, who drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to bring Nigeria level.
With 12 minutes to go, Morocco thought it might claim its first title and deny the Super Falcons when the referee awarded it a penalty for a handball by Nigeria's Oluwatosin Demehin.
But as Chebbak stood ready to take the penalty, VAR called the referee to check her on-field decision on the pitch-side monitor, and replays showed Morocco's Imane Saoud had handled the ball first, and the spot-kick was rescinded, leaving the home fans stunned.
With the match heading towards extra-time, and the Atlas Lionesses looking more and more deflated, Nigeria found its winner.
Okoronkwo was once again involved, chipping a pinpoint ball into the box from a set-piece right on to the foot of Echegini, who swept home easily as Morocco's defence failed to track her run.
It was a heartbreaking end for Jorge Vilda’s Morocco side, which was bidding to become only the second nation to lift the WAFCON trophy after Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
But the night belonged to the Super Falcons, whose absolute dominance of this continental tournament continues.
