WAFCON 2024: South Africa wreck Mali 4-0 to top Group C

…as Ghana send Tanzania home 4-1

BY ENIOLA OLATUNJI

Bayana Bayana of South Africa on Monday night in Morocco pummelled Malian babes 4-0 in the last group C match to zoom into the quarterfinals of WAFCON 2024.

Labahang Ramalepe opened scoring in the 5th minute and Refaloe Jane made it two; South Africa came rampaging in the 2nd half with a 61st goal through Hildah Magaia and Ronnel Donelly put icing on the cake with the 4th goal in the 79th minute.

In the other Group C match, Ghana scored first against Tanzania in the 12th minute through Princella Adubea only for Stumai Athumani to equalize in the 41st minute.

The Black Queens of Ghana peeped the exit door of the tournament and Alice Kusi through a penalty in the 63rd minute indicated no Ghana must go. Evelyn Badu came with the 3rd goal in the 87th minute and Horkah saw Tanzania off the tournament with the 4th goal in the 90th minute.

Thus South Africa topped group C with 7 points scoring 7 goals and conceding one; Ghana leaped into the 2nd position with 4 points scoring 5 goals and conceding one; Mali was 3rd also with 4 points scoring 2 goals and conceding 5 goals while Tanzania bade the tournament goodbye with one point scoring 2 goals and conceding 6 goals.

Mali and Ghana advanced into the quarterfinals as best lucky losers.

South Africa and Mali met once at the WAFCON SEMIFINAL of Ghana 2018 where at the Cape Coast Stadium on 27th November South Africa won 2-0 with Ref Jonesia Rukyaa Kabakama of Tanzania in charge.

Mali lost the 3rd place match to Cameroon 2-4 on 30th November where Nigeria beat Cameroon 4-3 on penalties after a goalless full time. Nigeria went on to also beat South Africa 4-3 on penalties after a goalless full time again.

In that tournament, South Africa player, Thambi Kgatinna was both the Best Player and the highest scorer with 5 goals.

Mali, ranked 85th in the world has no world cup appearance, no Olympic Games appearance but showed up 7 timed at WAFCON finals with that best 2018 performance losing in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2016 at group stages.

South Africa ranked 54th in the world had two appearances at the world cup with a round of 16 match as best performance in 2023; have 13 appearances at WAFCON and are defending champions having won the last tournament in 2022. She was Runners up 4 times in 1995, 2000, 2012 and 2018; won Bronze once in 2008 and placed 4th thrice in 2002, 2014 and 2016.

Morocco will play Mali at Rabat on Friday 18th July after Nigeria would have tried out Zambia at Casablanca in the quarterfinals; on Saturday, 19th July Algeria will square up with Ghana at Barlune while same day South Africa would round up the quarterfinals stage against Senegal at Ouidjda.

The semifinal may see Nigeria face Algeria again if both win their quarterfinal matches and that semifinal clash will be in Casablanca on 22nd July while same day the other semifinal will take place at Rabat between winner of Morocco/Mali match versus winner of Soufh Africa/Senegal match.

Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.

#CAF #SAFA #MFA

#GFA #TFF #NFF.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.