National Futsal team players win praise despite final loss

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania women’s national Futsal team head coach Curtis Reid has praised his players for their fighting spirit despite a narrow 3-2 loss to Morocco in the final of the Women’s Africa Futsal Cup of Nations.

The tense and dramatic final took place on Wednesday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat.

Tanzania looked set to make history after taking a 2-0 lead, but Morocco mounted a spirited comeback and scored the winning goal just a minute before the final whistle.

The match started brightly for Tanzania, who came out pressing high and putting the hosts under pressure. Anastazia Katunzi gave Tanzania an early lead in the 4th minute after pouncing on a poorly cleared ball to slot home the opener.

In the 16th minute, Tanzania doubled their advantage through Jamila Rajabu, who finished off a swift counter-attack to silence the home crowd and leave Morocco reeling. However, Morocco began to settle and found a lifeline just before half-time.

A foul inside the box gave the hosts a penalty, which Doha El Madani converted with calm precision to reduce the deficit and boost the team's confidence going into the break.

Energised by the home fans, Morocco came out stronger in the second half. In the 34th minute, they found the equaliser when Drissia Korrych coolly finished a well-rehearsed corner routine, levelling the score at 2-2. As time wore on, both sides searched for a decisive goal.

 Tanzania, who had impressed with their physical approach, began to tire, while Morocco gained momentum. In the final moments, Demraoui found space in the Tanzanian defence and drilled a low shot past the goalkeeper to seal a memorable victory and spark wild celebrations in Rabat. 

The win not only earned Morocco their first-ever Women’s Africa Futsal Cup of Nations title but also secured their spot in the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, scheduled to take place in the Philippines from 27 November to 7 December 2025. 

Speaking after the match, Reid acknowledged the mistakes made by his side but remained optimistic about the future.

“My players made some errors that allowed Morocco to score all three goals, but I’m proud of their effort,” said Reid.

“Despite the result, they deserve credit. This was their first experience at this level, and Morocco has invested in this game for a long time. We hope to play a friendly match against them before the World Cup in the Philippines,” said Reid.

Awards

The tournament’s individual awards went to Jasmine Demraoui (Best Player, Morocco), Doha El Madani (Top Scorer with 5 goals, Morocco), and Nassra Abbas (Best Goalkeeper, Tanzania). Namibia were recognised with the Fair Play Award.