South Africa, Ghana Seal Quarter-Final Spots after Comfortable Wins

South Africa and Ghana secured their passage into the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after comfortable group wins over Mali and Tanzania respectively on Monday.

Banyana Banyana were top of Group C and needed three points to be guaranteed of ending the group stage in that position.

They did exactly that as Lebogang Ramalepe and captain Refiloe Jane scored in the first half before Hildah Magaia and substitute Ronnel Donnelly added their names on the scoresheet in the second half for a 4-0 victory.

Meanwhile, the Black Queens finished in second place after defeating Tanzania 4-1. Princella Abubea scored the first goal for the West African giants in the 12th minute before Stumai Athumani equalised for the Tanzanian ladies four minutes to the half time break.

Ghana however re-established their lead in the 63rd minute when Alice Kusi scored from the penalty spot while Evelyn Badu and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah netted the remaining in the final three minutes.

The three-time WAFCON runners-up were tied on four points with Mali but finished second with a superior goal difference.

The Malian ladies also booked their spot in the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed finishers along with Senegal while Tanzania finished bottom of Group C with one point and were eliminated.

The other eight quarter-finalists are Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, Nigeria and Algeria.