Grace Asantewaa has expressed her confidence that she and her fellow teammates on the Ghana Black Queens will clinch victory at this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco. Asantewaa played a key role in the Black Queens’ quarter-final match, where they triumphed over Algeria 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in regular time. This victory sets them up for a semi-final matchup against the host nation, Morocco. Cynthia Konlan distinguished herself as the savior for the Black Queens by stopping shots from Marine Dafeur and Ines Belloumou during the shootout, while Evelyn Badu successfully converted the decisive penalty. Throughout the match in Berkane, the Black Queens showcased better performance, whereas Algeria struggled to create significant scoring opportunities. A deadlock occurred in the 27th minute when her powerful shot was disallowed following a VAR review for a slight offside during the buildup. Badu then squandered a fantastic opportunity to secure victory just three minutes before the end of regulation time, missing the ball after a setup from about eight yards away. Additionally, it is noted that the Super Falcons continue to be a leading power in African football, as mentioned by Yusuf in regard to WAFCON 2024. Following the victory, Asantewaa remarked during the post-match press conference, “As we advance to the semi-finals, we have no intention of stopping there.” “We are bringing this mindset into the semi-finals, and I am confident that we will win the Cup.” The Black Queens began the tournament with a disappointing 2-0 loss to the reigning champions, South Africa. In their next group match, they managed a 1-1 draw against Mali, but bounced back by defeating Tanzania 4-1, securing their spot in the quarter-finals. Historically, the Black Queens have reached the WAFCON final three times (in 1998, 2003, and 2006) but have been unable to win, consistently losing to Nigeria’s Super Falcons. By James Agberebi.
