Diana Msewa and Hasnath Ubamba delivered brilliant solo goals to lead Tanzania to a stunning 2-1 win over South Africa in Monday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) clash in Morocco.
Msewa opened the scoring in the 38th minute of the Group B match in Casablanca, weaving through midfield before firing past South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini for what would later be voted the tournament’s best goal so far.
South Africa responded in first-half stoppage time, with Bambanani Mbane nodding home from close range after Tanzania’s Najiat Idrisa could only parry a corner.
Despite being ranked 65 places below South Africa in the world, Tanzania matched their opponents with directness and physicality throughout. With the game seemingly destined for a draw, Ubamba seized on a throw-in, accelerated past her marker, and squeezed in a low shot from a tight angle in the 87th minute to clinch a famous victory for the Twiga Stars.
The result marked the first major upset of the 16-nation tournament, following routine wins for Morocco and Algeria in Group A. South Africa, Africa’s second-ranked team behind defending champions Nigeria, looked unconvincing and struggled with defensive lapses and misplaced passes.
Leading Group B, Tanzania now look ahead to matches against Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast after a memorable opening performance.
