Debutants and lone rangers Morocco set for France battle
With hot favorites and veterans of the world cup Nigeria out, African Champions South Africa out, debutants Zambia out, only Morocco are left in the race and will know their fate tomorrow when they settle scores with 2019 hosts France.
Atlas Lionesses received baptism of fire in the hands of now ousted Germany in their opening match, but remained hopeful beating South Korea and Colombia subsequently to embrace the last 16. The North Africans may be clearly underdogs in the encounter but experience has shown that it is counterproductive to underrate teams any team at the world cup. Some say it is better to wait and see how it pans out.
Australia booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup 2023 with a comfortable 2-0 win over Denmark.
Arsenal forward Caitlin Foord set the tournament co-hosts on their way with a clinical finish with just under half-an-hour gone at Stadium Australia.
Hayley Raso doubled the Matildas’ lead with 20 minutes to play, with further positivity added when Sam Kerr – who had been sidelined with a calf injury since the start of the tournament – entered the fray for the final 10 minutes.
Tony Gustavsson’s side now advances to the last eight, where they will face either France or Morocco.
Denmark pressed high and looked to set their stall out early on, with former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder making several menacing runs and striking straight at Mackenzie Arnold with 15 minutes on the clock.
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However, with just under half-an-hour gone, Australia took the lead. Mary Fowler played a beauty of a ball into Foord on left, who drew goalkeeper Lene Christiansen from her line and found the net with a clinical low finish.
Foord almost had a second soon after when she cut off the left after collecting what looked like a lost cause, turned inside Rikke Sevecke and hit a shot that took a deflection and looped narrowly past the target.
The Danes continued to try and find a way back in after the break, but they lacked any real conviction going forward and, with 20 minutes to play, the game was taken away from them for good.