Tanzania stun Cameroon to reach Women's Futsal Africa Cup of Nations final
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Tanzania booked their place in the final of the inaugural Women's Futsal Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 3-2 win over Cameroon at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Hall in Rabat.
The victory not only secured Tanzania's spot in the final of the first-ever edition but also guaranteed their qualification for the upcoming FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup in the Philippines later this year.
The semi-final clash was tightly contested from the start, with both sides showing defensive discipline in a tense opening half that ended goalless.
Goalkeepers Ngah of Cameroon and Abass of Tanzania pulled off a string of fine saves to keep their teams level.
The second half, however, exploded into life. Tanzanian captain Viohlet broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with a brilliant solo effort, only for Cameroon's Pekure to immediately respond and restore parity within a minute.
Tanzania faced further adversity when Zawadi was sent off for a reckless altercation with Cameroon’s Happy, leaving them with a numerical disadvantage.
Yet, showing tremendous resilience, Tanzania struck again through Mnunka just four minutes from time.
Cameroon refused to give in and leveled the score once more, with Beulou converting a precise cross from Mbomozomo in the 37th minute.
But Tanzania delivered the final blow almost immediately, as Katunzi Junior finished a lightning-fast counterattack with a powerful strike to settle the contest.
The win sends Tanzania into the historic final, where they will meet the winner of the second semi-final between Angola and hosts Morocco.
Viohlet and her side have also made history by becoming the first African team to qualify for the inaugural Women's Futsal World Cup.
