Women’s Soccer, July 2022: A Series
This is the eighth post in a series devoted to the 117 games of international women’s football played in July 2022, covering the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Quarterfinals. If you’d like to start from the beginning (or to pick and choose your competitions), you can do so from my opening post. Next up is the group stage of the OFC Women’s Nations Cup.

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – Quarterfinals (13^th-14^th)

The WAfCoN quarterfinals kicked off around halftime of the Sweden – Switzerland game on Wednesday the 13^th with Zambia facing a Senegalese team that had struggled throughout the group stage. Senegal started this game on the front foot, however, seeking to take advantage of their significant height advantage over Zambia through direct attack and set pieces.

Though Zambia would start to take control after the opening quarter hour, Senegal continued to threaten. Just after the hour mark, Mbayang Sow delivered a free kick to the far post for an unmarked Nguenar Ndiaye to head home an opener for Senegal. The lead lasted less than 10’, however, as goalkeeper Tening Séne Afa dropped a straight-forward ball that allowed Avell Chitundu to sneak in for an equalizer.

From there, the best chances fell to Zambia, but they were unable to finish, either in regulation or in extra time, where left back Martha Tembo—excellent throughout the game—had to make a critical 113’ intervention to shut down a dangerous Senegalese attack. In the shootout, Korka Fall, brought on at 111’ with an eye to penalties, missed Senegal’s opening kick.

That was the only miss until Zambia’s Lushomo Mweemba missed the 4^th kick, giving Senegal a chance to equalize. But Ndeye Diakhaté missed as well, allowing goalkeeper Hazel Nali to score the penalty that put Zambia into the semifinals (and secured them a place at the World Cup).

In the second game of the day, a 3’ Fatima Tagnaout free kick turned deftly in by Mssoudy Sanaa seemed to confirm that Morocco would cruise to a win against an underdog Botswana side. But when Keitumetse Dithebe slipped a 7’ free kick into the top right corner for an immediate equalizer, the home crowd was temporarily silenced.

Morocco did indeed go on to dominate the game, though their winning goal did not come until just before the hour mark. It was another Tagnaout free kick, this one headed in by centerback Yasmin Mrabet after Tagnaout’s initial effort had rebounded off the wall back for a second delivery in.

Though Morocco continued to look the more likely scorers, Botswana’s Refilwe Thokalele had a lovely chance at an equalizer late in regulation, and with the final action of the game sent a ball into the box for 90’ substitute Michelle Abueng, but Khadija Errmichi collected it to ensure Morocco’s place in the semifinals and World Cup.

On Thursday the 14^th, the one day in which each of the month’s five competitions played, Cameroon’s quarterfinal against Nigeria was the day’s fourth game, kicking off midway through Iceland’s tie with Italy. Cameroon were unable to recreate the improved performance in their previous game against Tunisia, as Nigeria dominated from the start.

Things remained level, though, until just before the hour mark, when Nkozi Okobi drove up the right flank. Stopped at the top of Cameroon’s box, she passed back up the flank to Ifeoma Onumonu, whose cross to the far post was headed in by Rasheedat Ajibade, giving Nigeria a deserved lead while also drawing level with Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak in the Golden Boot race on three goals. Though Cameroon improved somewhat after going down, they never really threatened Nigeria, who secured their places in both the World Cup and semifinals.

The last quarterfinal, beginning halfway through France’s win over Belgium and thus the sixth of the day’s ten games, was another low-scoring but one-sided affair between South Africa and Tunisia. South Africa, at least, did not have to wait long for their goal. At 14’, Refiloe Jane passed up the middle to Nomvula Kgoale, and she fed Jermaine Seoposenwe, who broke through the defense and into the box to score one-on-one against Soulayma Jebrani.

Tunisia did mount a strong reaction following the goal, most notably Leïla Maknoun’s strike midway through the first half. But by the end of that half, Nigeria were regaining control of the game, and they looked the more threatening side throughout the second. There was one last scare at the very end of regulation, when substitute Mariem Houij went down in the box under slight contact from Bambanani Mbane; but a penalty was not awarded and South Africa went through.

Next up: OFC Women’s Nations Cup – Group Stage | Skip to: Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – Semifinals and Repechage