Two second-half goals by the South Korea-based attacker set Banyana Banyana on their way to their first continental title in Rabat with strikes in 63rd and 71st minutes.

Rosella Ayane restored some hope for the teeming home fans when she scored with 10 minutes remaining to ensure a tense finish to the match at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium.

Despite the late efforts of the home side to restore parity South Africa held on to win their first title after five failed attempts in the final of the continent’s flagship women’s competition.

Banyana Banyana were determined to break the hoodoo of their previous five appearances in the final and took charge of the game with Magaia and Jermaine Seoposenwe combining effectively to cause problems for the Atlas Lionesses defence.

Hanane Ait El Haj cleared the ball off the line after Magaia received a pass from Seoposenwe and outwitted the goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi for in three minutes.

Er-Rmichi charged off her line to deny Magaia from breaking the deadlock in the 35thminute and moments later the latter’s free-kick from the edge of the box went just wide.

Morocco were pinned to their half as they relied on counter-attacks initiated by the talented Fatima Tagnaout but on each occasion, they met a resolute Banyana defence.

Tagnaout caused several problems for the South African defenders on the left and just before the break she combined with Ayane but the Tottenham ace failed to connect the pass inside the box.

Just after the hour mark, South Africa broke the deadlock when Magaia had the simple task of just tapping in after Seoposenwe made light work of two defenders on the left before laying the inviting pass.

Banyana doubled their lead moments later when Karabo Dhlamini’s cross from the left was met by Magaia’s simple tap-in to silence the vociferous home supporters.

The Atlas Lionesses restored some hope in the 80th minute when Tagnaout took advantage of a defensive error to intelligently set up Ayane who made no mistake from inside the box.

The home side launched several attacks into the South African area but the more experienced Banyana Banyana defenders were resolute until the final whistle to spark celebrations among the small number of travelling fans.

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This will be the 14th edition of the WAFCON and the first to feature 12 teams (split into three groups: Group A – Morocco, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Uganda; Group B – Cameroon, Zambia, Tunisia, Togo; and Group C – Nigeria, South Africa, Burundi, Botswana).

The last WAFCON was played in 2018 in Ghana and saw Nigeria claim a record-extending 11th title after defeating South Africa on penalties in the final. The scheduled 2020 WAFCON was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons start as the favourites to continue their dominance of women’s football in Africa, with coach Randy Waldrum leading a star-studded team which is determined to claim WAFCON glory once again.

“We are aware of the intense competition that is going to play out there in Morocco. We have no illusions,” said Nigeria captain Onome Ebi. “Women’s football has continued to grow in a lot of other African nations, faster than anyone can imagine.

“So, there will be nothing like underrating any team. All the teams will be upbeat about their chances and winning tickets to the World Cup. On our part, as defending champions, we know our strengths. We know what we have to bring to the pitch to conquer.”

The main threat to Nigeria’s ambitions will come from South Africa and Cameroon – both appearing at their 13th WAFCON tournaments – while the likes of hosts Morocco, Zambia and Senegal will be dark horses.

The expanded tournament format also allows for no less than four debutantes, with Botswana, Burkina Faso, Togo and Burundi making their maiden WAFCON appearances.

The group phase of this year’s WAFCON will be played from 2 to 10 July, with the top two teams from each group, as well as the two highest-ranked third-placed teams advancing into the quarterfinals. From there it is a straight knockout format through the final on 23 July.

In addition, this WAFCON serves as a qualification tournament for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. The four semifinalists secure automatic qualification to the global tournament, while the four losing quarterfinalists will play two separate playoffs in a ‘Repechage’ round, with the two winners of those matches advancing to the inter-confederation playoffs – a mini tournament staged in Australia and New Zealand early next year which will determine the final qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup.

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