Morocco and Zambia draw opening match of Wafcon 2024

Two of Africa's best players turned on the style as hosts Morocco struck late to earn themselves a 2-2 draw against Zambia in an open and entertaining first game of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).

Both sides are viewed as among the favourites to lift the new Wafcon trophy in three weeks' time, meaning this game was always likely to offer up a mouth-watering start to the tournament.

It was left to Morocco talisman Ghizlane Chebbak to rescue a point for her side, curling a long-range strike into the top corner in the 88th minute to spark wild celebrations among staff and players on the touchline.

Until that point it had looked as if Zambia captain Barbra Banda, the reigning African player of the year, would steal the headlines, having scored inside the first minute on what was her first ever Wafcon appearance.

The forward also set up Racheal Kundananji's 27th-minute goal, which came after Ibtissam Jraidi's penalty, awarded with the help of VAR, had briefly seen Morocco level.

The draw leaves Group A wide open, with the hosts' next game coming against DR Congo in Rabat on Wednesday, the same day on which Zambia face Senegal in Mohammedia.

Banda, 25, came into the tournament off the back of a stellar 12 months which saw her also named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year, score the winning goal for club side Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League Championship final, and become Africa's all-time leading scorer - male or female - in Olympic football.

However, she had been forced to wait a long time to make her mark at a Wafcon.

An unused member of the Copper Queens squad in 2018, she saw the 2020 edition cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and missed out in 2022 amid confusion over 'gender eligibility' rules, with the situation later resolved.

But her first contribution on African football's biggest stage caused obvious fear in the Moroccan rearguard, with three defenders backing off as Banda carried the ball from the halfway line to the edge of the box.

Her shot was on target but should have been saved by goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi, who somehow allowed it to squirm past her to provide a truly electric start.

But Morocco, who dominated with over 70% of possession throughout the game, were not behind for long.

Play was initially waved on by referee Shamirah Nabadda following a clumsy challenge inside the box by Grace Chanda on fellow midfielder Najat Badri, but the video assistant referee advised Nabadda to go to the monitor and the Ugandan duly overturned her original decision.

Jraidi made no mistake from the spot, hitting the ball high into the net to level proceedings in the 12th minute, lifting the volume inside the Olympic Stadium, the venue which will also host the final on 26 July.

Orlando Pride forward Banda then showed her class again 15 minutes later, finding time on the ball to slide a defence-splitting pass into the path of another player based in the USA, Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji, Africa's most expensive player, who finished calmly past Er-Rmichi.

And deep in first-half injury time, Banda looked set to tap home another goal at the back post, only to see Morocco full-back Hanane Ait El Haj pull off an amazing headed clearance from her own goal line.

In a second half that saw players on both sides visibly tire as time ticked away, Morocco struggled to carve out clear chances.

With new boss Jorge Vilda, the man who masterminded Spain's World Cup triumph in 2023, prowling the touchline, the Atlas Lionesses looked to set to become the first hosts to lose an opening match since South Africa were defeated by Ghana in 2004.

Er-Rmichi had already made partial amends for her earlier error by saving a tame header from Banda before Fatima Tagnaout blazed over from a tight angle after being played through by Chebbak.

Operating in a deep-lying playmaker role, Chebbak, who turns 35 next month, was a class above with the ball at her feet.

And with only two minutes of normal time remaining, it was the Morocco skipper who played a captain's role, finding a moment of quality to loop the ball beyond the reach of the flat-footed Zambia keeper Petronella Musole.

Inspired by her father Larbi Chebbak, a member of Morocco's legendary Nations Cup-winning side from 1976, Ghizlane will hope her goal is the spark that ignites another run to final, and a shot at redemption for the hosts, who finished as runners-up to South Africa on home soil at the last Wafcon.