Ghana’s Black Queens were eliminated from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final after losing on penalties to host Morocco in the semi-finals.
Ghana took the lead in the first half through Stella Nyamekye, but Sakina Ouzraoui equalised in the second half to send the game to overtime.
Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah both missed penalty attempts as Ghana fell 4-2.
The Black Queens dominated the early exchanges, with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah scoring first from the box, but the Moroccan shot-stopper was up to the challenge.
Doris Boaduwaa raced her markers moments later, but her shot went wide, before Nyamekye struck from outside the box, landing squarely in Khadija Er-rmichi’s arms.
Nyamekye then broke the deadlock halfway through the first half by converting a corner kick she took. Her cleared cross dropped to Grace Asantewaa, who found Comfort Yeboah on the right, with the Ampem Darkoa Ladies defender’s cross meeting Josephine Bonsu’s head as it hit the post before Nyamekye bundled it over the line.
Ghana nearly doubled their advantage after Boaduwaa charged the Moroccan custodian, causing a mistake that dropped to Nyamekye, but the Gotham City midfielder’s shot sailed wide.
Following the break, the Moroccans made a tremendous comeback, pressing the Black Queens back with waves of attacks.
After taking advantage of a mistake by Yeboah, Sakina Ouzraoui finished the assault for the Atlas Lionesses, tying the game at 55 minutes.
The hosts continued to dominate, with Ghizlane Chebbak coming close to scoring late in normal time, but a quick intervention from Susan Duah denied the Moroccan captain and forced the game into extra time.
Ghana had a fantastic opportunity to take the lead in the second half when Asantewa whipped in a stunning corner kick that evaded Morocco’s defence and fell to Alice Kusi at the far end, but the connection was weak.
Evelyn Badu had a chance to win after the Moroccan custodian flung a ball into her path, but the midfielder couldn’t guide her header into the goal.
Later, Badu beat her marker and sent in a deceptive cross, but there was no one on the other end to convert.
The game went to penalties, when Badu and Yeboah missed their kicks, securing the hosts’ berth in the final.