The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations enters the semifinal stage with mouthwatering clashes slated for tonight.Zambia take on South Africa at the Mohammed V Sports Complex the first semifinal of the day at 8 PM EAt with Nigeria and Morocco clashing in the other match at 11 PM at Moulay Abdellah Stadium.Banyana Banyana and the Copper Queens both topped their groups impressively en route to the knockout rounds and then saw off tricky opposition to set up their big semifinal at 6pm on Monday at the Mohammed V Sports Complex.##NAJAVA_MECA_6512221##South Africa are targeting nothing but a win to book a spot in the final although they will be playing in Casablanca for the first time since the competition started having played all their previous matches in Rabat.“Tomorrow will be a very important match. We absolutely have to win, to achieve our second goal, of being in the final. It’s life in competition. Every time you take one step, you have to adapt to another environment. That is the way it is. Fortunately, we have a group of professionals who know this kind of thing and who adapt quickly,” Désirée Ellis offered.🚨Semi-Final Details🚨⚽️ Zambia 🇿🇲 🆚 Banyana Banyana🇿🇦🏆 #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 🗓 Monday, 18 July 2022🏟 Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca🕕 18:00 (19:00pm RSA time)📺 LIVE on @SABC_Sport channels and @SuperSportTV Let’s rally behind Banyana! 💛💚🇿🇦#LiveTheImpossible pic.twitter.com/AX6K0rOUoW— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) July 17, 2022 Zambia’s coach Bruce Mwape says they are in it to win it and are focused on taking the cup home.“It is a derby, and a derby is not only to be played, but to be won. You can feel the excitement that is spreading througout the country. We receive thousands of messages. Thanks to social networks, our team remains connected to our people. The girls feel invested with a mission to bring the cup home,” Mwape said.Morocco will be playing in the semis for the first time in their history in just the country’s third participation in the tournament.On the other hand, Nigeria’s Super Falcons are the defending champions and have won the title a record nine times and will have their eyes on the finals as they charge for a tenth title.##NAJAVA_MECA_6513461##Despite the difference between the two sides, the Atlas Lionesses coach Reynald Pedros is confident his team is up to the task against the Nigerians.‘We are preparing this match like all the others, with a lot of seriousness and application. The main thing was to recover well after the quarterfinal, recharge the batteries and not to put negative pressure on the players. Nigeria is the best team in Africa, that regularly participates in the World Cup. It is the country that has the most WAFCON titles. We know who we are dealing with. But in a one-off match, in a semifinal, anything is possible. It’s up to us to put all the ingredients together to win this match and reach the final. We know it will be difficult, but we are ready for it. We don’t go into the unknown, we know how Nigeria plays. it will be up to us to show that we are able to compete and qualify for the final,” Pedros said.𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬: 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄! ✅Which of the 4️⃣ semi-finalists will go through to the final game? 🤩#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 | #EmpoweringOurGame pic.twitter.com/flgjtYD9YH— #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2022 (@CAFwomen) July 15, 2022 While Nigeria enjoys the experience on the stage, Morocco will be having the backing of the spectators as they play on home soil.Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum acknowledges they are in for a tough match but has urged his charges to be ready for the game.“I saw them for the first time in September and I was very impressed by the quality of their team and by the football they play. I said as soon as I arrived in Morocco that they are the team that can surprise. I know how this team has developed for three years now. They are one of the best teams in the competition and are capable of beating any other team. We have respect for Morocco and the way they have played in this tournament. It’s a big challenge for us. Certainly, we have a lot of experience and a lot see us as favourites, but in football everything is possible and we have to be ready for this game,” said Waldrum.Additional reporting by CAF
