The Black Queens of Ghana claimed the bronze medal at the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after defeating South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 4-3 on penalties in a dramatic third-place match at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Friday night.
Both teams had ended regulation time locked at 1-1 after a tense 90 minutes, forcing the tie into a penalty shootout where the West Africans held their nerves better.
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Credit: Ghana Women National Teams X Page
South Africa took the lead just before halftime when Nonhlanhla Mthandi pounced on a mistake by the Ghanaian goalkeeper to put Banyana Banyana ahead in the 45th minute.
However, Ghana came back strongly in the second half, and their pressure paid off in the 67th minute when Alice Kusi slotted home the equaliser, making it 1-1.
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The game had no extra time, so it went straight to penalties — where fortunes swung back and forth.
Linda Motlhalo and Bambanane Mbane scored early for South Africa, while Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah missed Ghana’s opening spot kick.
But Ghana soon recovered as Alice Kusi and Josephine Ansua Bontsu both found the net, while South Africa’s Holweni and Hilda Magaia had their efforts saved.
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A key moment came when Ghana’s Jennifer Cudjoe missed, but a VAR review ordered a retake, which she converted.
Jermaine Seoposenwe tried to keep South Africa alive by scoring, but Ghana’s Nancy Amor sealed the win with the final penalty.
It was a proud moment for Ghana, who narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a heartbreaking loss to Morocco in the semi-finals.
Their coach, Kim Björkegren, had emphasised the importance of finishing the tournament strongly as part of their build-up to the next World Cup qualifying campaign.
For South Africa, it was another tough night after losing their semifinal clash against Nigeria and suffering the unfortunate injury of star winger Gabriela Salgado.
Despite a bright start in the third-place match, they couldn’t hold on to their lead and were eventually undone in the shootout.
Ghana now return home with a well-earned medal and renewed confidence heading into future competitions.
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