Morocco earned their first victory of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday with a thrilling 4-2 comeback win over DR Congo at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
The Atlas Lionesses were stunned early on when Merveille Kanjinga broke the deadlock just six minutes into the second Group A fixture, giving DR Congo an unexpected lead.
However, Morocco’s captain, Ghizlane Chebbak, quickly responded, leveling the score in the 25th minute and later putting her side ahead in the 43rd with her second of the evening.
The second half brought a flurry of chances for both sides, and DR Congo clawed their way back into the contest with an equalizer from Flavine Mawete in the 70th minute.
But the hosts weren’t done yet. Chebbak struck again in the 75th minute to complete the tournament’s first hat-trick, re-establishing Morocco’s lead.
Yasmin Mrabet then put the result beyond doubt when she calmly converted a penalty in the 83rd minute, sealing a vital three points for the North African team.
With the result, Morocco climbed to the top of Group A on four points, edging Zambia on goal difference, while DR Congo remain rooted at the bottom with two defeats from two games, though they did find the net for the first time in the tournament during this encounter.
Looking ahead, Morocco will face Senegal in their final group game on Saturday, while DR Congo must win against Zambia to have any hope of advancing.