The Black Queens of Ghana failed to reach the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to host Morocco in the semi-final.
Ghana opened the scoring through Stella Nyamekye in the first half before Sakina Ouzraoui forced the game to extra time with a second-half equalizer.
Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah missed their spot kicks as Ghana lost 4-2.
The Black Queens dominated the early exchanges with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah striking first from the box, but the Moroccan shot-stopper was equal to the task.
Moments later, Doris Boaduwaa hustled her markers but her effort went wide before Nyamekye struck from outside the box, which fell straight into the arms of Khadija Er-rmichi.
Nyamekye then broke the deadlock halfway into the first half after finishing a corner kick she effected. Her cross, which was cleared, fell to Grace Asantewaa, who found Comfort Yeboah on the right with the Ampem Darkoa Ladies defender’s cross met by Josephine Bonsu’s head as it hit the post before Nyamekye bundled it across the line.
Ghana nearly doubled the lead after Boaduwaa charged the Moroccan goalkeeper into making a mistake, which fell to Nyamekye, but Gotham City’s midfielder’s effort went wide.
After the break, the Moroccans returned strongly, pinning the Black Queens back with waves of attack.
The early pressure paid off after taking advantage of a mistake by Yeboah, with Sakina Ouzraoui finishing the attack for the Atlas Lionesses to level the score after 55 minutes.
The hosts continued to dominate with Ghizlane Chebbak coming close late in regulation time, but a timely intervention from Susan Duah stopped the Moroccan captain to force the game to extra-time.
Ghana had a good opportunity to take the lead in the second half after Asantewaa whipped in a sumptuous corner kick, evading the defence of Morocco to fall to Alice Kusi at the far end but the connection was not strong.
Evelyn Badu was gifted the chance to win it after the Moroccan goalie punched a ball to her path, but the midfielder could not direct her header into the net.
Later on, Badu beat her marker to send in a deceiving cross, but there was no one at the end of it to convert.
The game proceeded to penalties, where Badu and Yeboah missed their kicks as the hosts secured a place in the final.
