Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies fell short of reaching the final in the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League, experiencing a penalty shootout defeat against Sporting Club Casablanca on Wednesday night.
Nana Joe Adarkwa’s team faced a 3-2 loss in the shootout, missing three penalty kicks—one more than their Moroccan counterparts—after a thrilling 2-2 draw in 120 minutes of play.
Comfort Yeboah, Latifa Abesik, and Ophelia Serwaa Amponsah were unable to convert their kicks, contributing to Ampem Darkoa Ladies’ defeat.
The opening goal came from Comfort Yeboah, who converted a penalty just six minutes into the game, giving her team the lead. However, the Ghanaian side saw their advantage nullified when Yeboah unintentionally scored an own goal, resulting in an equalizer.
The joy for the North African side was short-lived, as Jennifer Owusuaa secured her first goal of the tournament with a spectacular shot from 25 yards out.
Casablanca scored the equaliser in the second half from the penalty spot after a very minimal contact in the box to make it 2-2.
After 30 minutes of extra time, the game ended 2-2 and had to be decided from the penalty spot.
The Nana Mma were unable to take advantage of the missed kicks by the Moroccans as they fell to a 3-2 defeat.
Ampem Darkoa Ladies will now be hoping to finish on a high when they challenge for third place against AS FAR Club.
