Vilda: Atlas Lioness Ready for High-Stakes Women's AFCON Semi-Final

Morocco World

3 days ago

Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Monday in Rabat, Morocco head coach Jorge Vilda expressed confidence in his team's readiness and determination. 'The players are fully motivated to beat Ghana and reach the final,' he said. 'Throughout the tournament, they've learned to turn pressure into positive energy, which has been one of their greatest strengths.'
Vilda highlighted the mental resilience and hard work of the Atlas Lionesses, who have been preparing intensively for two months. He also noted that playing at home, in front of Moroccan fans at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, could give his team an extra edge. 'The players have already faced strong, physically demanding opponents in the group stage, and they are prepared to give everything on the field tomorrow,' he added.
Striker Ibtissam Jraidi, who was named player of the match in Morocco's 3-1 quarter-final win over Mali , echoed her coach's confidence. 'We know this will be a tough match, but we are aware of the responsibility we carry,' she said. 'Individual awards don't matter as much — what counts is helping the team win and reach the final.'
On the other side, Ghana's head coach Kim Bjorkegren acknowledged the challenge his team faces against the hosts. 'This will probably be our toughest match of the tournament,' he admitted. 'We have to recover quickly after our quarter-final against Algeria, but we'll fight for our chance and hope our preparations pay off.'
The Morocco-Ghana semi-final kicks off Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Rabat Olympic Stadium. Earlier in the day, Nigeria and South Africa will meet in the second semi-final at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca at 5:00 p.m.
The winners of both matches will advance to the WAFCON final, while the losing teams will meet in the third-place playoff. Tags: morocco ghanawafcon 2025WAFCON Morocco