Key events
27 min: Lahmari rolls a pass down the left for Tagnaout, who can’t get past Carabali, turns tail, runs the ball out of play, then smashes it against the hoardings in frustration. It’s understandable: she’s had a couple of decent opportunities that haven’t quite panned out as she’d have hoped.
25 min: A half-hearted claim for a penalty as El Chad goes up for a clearing header and the ball brushes her arm. The referee shows no interest in the matter whatsoever.
24 min: Colombia have enjoyed 61 percent of possession in the last ten minutes, Morocco just 17. And yet the Lionesses of Atlas still look dangerous whenever they get the ball.
22 min: Colombia send a free kick into the Moroccan box only for their opponents to launch an immediate counter. Tagnaout is sent scampering into acres down the left, but she doesn’t have the pace to reach the Colombian box before she’s swarmed by yellow shirts. Both teams are clearly determined not to leave the stadium tonight wondering.
21 min: Ramirez hoicks in high from the left flank. Montoya lurks. Er-Rmichi punches away … not particularly decisively, but she does just enough and a team-mate clears. Colombia come again through Caicedo down the right. Caicedo enters the box and has the right to shoot, but she attempts a cutback for Santos that’s cleared.
19 min: Ouzraoui probes hard down the right. She momentarily looks to have got the better of Daniela Arias but the Colombian defender eventually battles her way between opponent and ball, ushering the latter out of play for a goal kick. It’s a bright, open game, this.
17 min: Benzina hangs out a leg and stands on Caicedo’s foot. Caicedo hops around in agony, as Benzina holds her breath: if she’s booked tonight, and Morocco get through, she’d miss the Round of 16 tie. But it’s just a free kick, from which nothing develops. Moving on.
15 min: Chebbak doesn’t spot the killer pass this time, though, and Tagnaout, in acres on the left flank, isn’t of a mind to hide her displeasure.
14 min: Chebbak, quarterbacking from deep, plays a pass around the corner and down the inside-left channel. Ouzraoui nearly latches onto it but Perez bravely claims at her feet.
13 min: Lahmari sends Tagnaout into space down the left. She curls a cross towards Jraidi, who stoops and leans back to improvise a clever looping header in the direction of the top-right corner. Perez claims well, but for a second that looked as though it was flying in. Great football from Morocco, who have the upper hand here all right.
11 min: … so having said that, Colombia get their first shot of the evening away, Ramirez barrelling down the inside-right channel before whipping a shot into the side netting. Er-Rmichi had it covered.
10 min: Morocco need to better Germany’s result tonight, and they’re definitely trying to do their bit. They’ve been the better side in the early exchanges here in Perth.
8 min: There’s already been a goal in the other game .. and it’s a jaw-dropper! South Korea have taken the lead against Germany through Cho So-hyun, and as things stand, Morocco are going through at the expense of one of the pre-tournament favourites!
6 min: Nakkach dribbles neatly down the inside-right channel before feeding Jraidi, who can’t quite get into position in the box for a whack at goal. Colombia were nevertheless pulled about a bit there. Morocco look extremely dangerous in these early attacks.
4 min: Colombia are beginning to show in attack after their slow start. Ramirez barges her way in from the left but can’t quite make enough space to shoot.
2 min: From the resulting corner, Chebbak whips low and hard towards the same bottom-left corner. Obviously a plan to catch Perez out. Carolina Arias pokes out for a second corner that leads to nowt. A fast start by Morocco, though.
1 min: With less than 50 seconds on the clock, Jraidi is sent racing into space down the left. She tries to beat Perez at her near post. The keeper turns out for a corner.
Morocco get the ball rolling. Anticipation bubbling away in the stadium.
The teams are out! Morocco wear their red shirts, Colombia their yellow. We’re a couple of national anthems away from the last game in this tournament to be played at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.
The story so far. This is what Morocco got up to last time …
… while Colombia were stunning the world by doing this.
The first round of fixtures saw Colombia beat South Korea as Germany were spanking Morocco.
In case you’ve arrived late to the party, step inside, grab yourself a drink and a snack. Here’s what our experts said before the tournament about the Lionesses of Atlas …
… and here’s their take on the Coffee Growers.
Colombia make one change to their starting line-up from the 2-1 win over Germany. Leicy Santos replaces Lady Andrade in midfield.
Morocco also make one change, from their 1-0 victory over South Korea. Anissa Lahmari takes the place of Salma Amani up front.
The teams
Morocco: Er-Rmichi, Ait El Haj, Benzina, El Chad, Redouani, Ouzraoui, Nakkach, Chebbak, Tagnaout, Jraidi, Lahmari.
Subs: Arouaissa, Zouhair, Amani, Ayane, Badri, Bouftini, Chapelle, Gharbi, Kassi, Mazrouai, Mrabet, Seghir.
Colombia: Perez, Carolina Arias, Carabali, Daniela Arias, Vanegas, Durango, Montoya, Caicedo, Santos, Ramirez, Usme.
Subs: Giraldo, Sepulveda, Andrade, Bahr, Baron, Caracas, Chacon, Guzman, Ospina, Ramos, Restrepo, Reyes.
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi (Italy).
Preamble
Colombia top Group H after beating the two-time winners and section favourites Germany. They did so thanks to this outrageous Linda Caicedo goal …
… followed by a super-dramatic 97th-minute header from Manuela Vanegas. Having also beaten South Korea, they’re as good as in the knockout stage already: a point here will mean they finish top and qualify for a Round of 16 match against Jamaica.
Morocco aren’t totally without hope, though. They can pip Colombia if they beat them this evening by four clear goals, though their more realistic chance is to better what Germany achieve against South Korea.
The most likely scenario? Given Germany skelped Morocco 6-0 in their opening match, while South Korea have lost both of their fixtures without scoring, Colombia will win this group with Germany in second spot. But then most people thought Brazil would get past Jamaica yesterday, and look what happened there. Kick off at the Perth Rectangular Stadium is at 6pm local time, 11am in Morocco, 5am in Colombia, and 11am BST. It’s on!