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FIFA Women's Champions Cup
ASFAR’s triumph at the Stade Municipal de Berrechid means they will meet European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals on January 28 in London.
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ASFAR made one change from the team that won the African Women’s Champions League title with Doha El Madani on the bench, while Wuhan Jiangda made four changes to the side that knocked out Auckland City 1-0 in the first round, with Mavis Owusu included in the starting line-up.
The home side controlled the early tempo with Najat Badri testing Chen Chen in the seventh minute with a long range effort.
The home side controlled the early tempo with Najat Badri testing Chen Chen in the seventh minute with a long range effort.
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Wuhan Jiangda almost made ASFAR pay eight minutes later when Wang Shuang pounced on a stray pass from the centre, sending Owusu down to the right, with the Ghanaian seeing her through ball back to the 2018 AFC Women's Player of the Year cleared by the defenders in black.
Another defensive lapse just before the half-hour mark saw Wuhan Jiangda stun ASFAR after Badri half cleared Wang Shuang’s initial corner into the path of the forward, who surged into the box and powered home a cracking strike past Khadija Er-Rmichi.
ASFAR looked to rebound but failed to trouble the AFC Women's Champions League 2024/25™ winners with Zineb Redouani’s shot from the edge of the area in the 41st minute easily saved by Chen Chen.
Another defensive lapse just before the half-hour mark saw Wuhan Jiangda stun ASFAR after Badri half cleared Wang Shuang’s initial corner into the path of the forward, who surged into the box and powered home a cracking strike past Khadija Er-Rmichi.
ASFAR looked to rebound but failed to trouble the AFC Women's Champions League 2024/25™ winners with Zineb Redouani’s shot from the edge of the area in the 41st minute easily saved by Chen Chen.
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The Moroccan side kept the pressure on Wuhan Jiangda after the break with Anissa Lahmari pulling her curling shot wide in the 50th minute before the Chinese Women’s Super League side had a narrow escape eight minutes later.
Lahmari slipped a well-timed through pass to Sanaa Mssoudy, who went down in the box after a clash with Liu Yanqiu with no penalty awarded after a VAR review.
Lahmari slipped a well-timed through pass to Sanaa Mssoudy, who went down in the box after a clash with Liu Yanqiu with no penalty awarded after a VAR review.
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Wang Shuang came close to doubling her tally in the 61st minute when she slipped through the ASFAR defence, only for Er-Rmichi to deflect the effort with an outstretched leg.
Wuhan Jiangda were just minutes away from sealing the win before ASFAR levelled the tie through Hajar Said, who nodded home Yolande Gnammi’s cross from the right to force extra-time.
Wuhan Jiangda were just minutes away from sealing the win before ASFAR levelled the tie through Hajar Said, who nodded home Yolande Gnammi’s cross from the right to force extra-time.
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It was one way traffic in the first period with Mssoudy coming close on two occasions – first, sending her glancing header over the bar before angling the second into the path of Chen Chen.
The Moroccan side’s relentless pressure paid off a minute before the break when a long ball from Fatima Tagnaout found Mssoudy, who outmuscled her marker before lobbing over a surging Chen Chen to seal the win.
Photos: FIFA via Getty Images
The Moroccan side’s relentless pressure paid off a minute before the break when a long ball from Fatima Tagnaout found Mssoudy, who outmuscled her marker before lobbing over a surging Chen Chen to seal the win.
Photos: FIFA via Getty Images
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