AWCON
Morocco 2022: Super Falcons in Canada for two matches against Olympic champions
Nine –time African champions Nigeria will clash with reigning Olympic champions Canada in two friendly matches that will hold over three days in the cities of Vancouver and Victoria City.
Both matches take place Friday, 8th April and Monday, 11th April respectively.
Two players – defenders Onome Ebi and Glory Ogbonna – were among the contingent that flew out of Nigeria aboard a Lufthansa Airline plane on Tuesday night, and connected a flight from Frankfurt to Vancouver on Wednesday. The other players are to fly direct to Vancouver from their bases in Europe and the American continent.
Canada’s Women National Team are the reigning champions of Olympic women’s football, having won the gold medal at the Olympic Women’s Football Tournament in Tokyo in August 2021, after beating Sweden on penalties following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time.
The Super Falcons have won the African title nine times and recently qualified for the Women AFCON finals holding in Morocco this summer, after a 3-0 aggregate win over Cote d’Ivoire in February. Newcomers Ifeoma Onumonu (in Abuja) and Esther Okoronkwo (in Abidjan) accounted for the goals that avenged the Falcons’ elimination from the Tokyo Olympics race by the Ivorians. The Nigeria Football Federation has organized this two-match tour against the Olympic champions as part of the Super Falcons’ preparations for the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said: “There are no longer minnows or minions in African women football. The championship in Morocco will serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and we cannot afford to take chances. Only the four semi finalists in Morocco will qualify for the Women’s World Cup to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand next year. It is important that our girls get the best of preparation possible.”
Friday’s clash at the BC Place in Vancouver is another date for both teams after many years, following their epic 3-3 draw at the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Sweden.
Both will again clash at the Centennial Stadium in Victoria City on Monday, 11th April. The two matches will kick off at 7.30pm Nigeria time (3.30am Vancouver time on 9th April and 12th April respectively).
Democratic Republic of Congo side, TP Mazembe are officially the champions of the CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024.
A highly tactical and hard fought 1-0 victory in the final played in El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi against former champions and hosts, AS FAR saw the DR Congo side crowned the new champions of Africa for the first time – wiping away tears of their 2022 group stage exit.
With the crowd backing the hosts, Mazembe showed great resilience and courage in taking the match to the former champions who remain in search for what has been an elusive second title for them.
The deciding goal of the fourth edition of the tournament came courtesy of a converted spot kick by Marlene Kasaj in the opening 10 minutes, which Mazembe protected throughout the match to seal the historic victory.
Despite the early concession, AS FAR kept believing and surged forward in search of the leveller, but a resolute Mazembe defense kept the clean sheet throughout the opening half.
Coming back from the break, it was surprisingly Mazembe who looked more dangerous as they came out strong in an attempt to kill off the game.
The hosts eventually found their rhythm but again were met by a disciplined Mazembe defense, who kept the former champions at bay to secure Africa’s most sought-after women’s club football crown.
In addition to the coveted CAF Women’s Champions League trophy, TP Mazembe also take home $600 000 in prize money, while runners-up AS FAR take home $400 000.
-CAF
BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
The National Chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) Samuel Ikpea has tipped the Super Falcons of Nigeria to claim their 10th African Women’s Cup of Nations title in Morocco when they begin their campaign next year.
Ikpea’ remarks came after the Friday night draw that put Algeria, Tunisia and Botswana in the same group with the Super Falcons.
“Our girls are going to play in a group with two North African countries (Tunisia and Algeria). “It is going to be interesting, and I am optimistic that our girls will scale from our group”.
Nigeria will tackle two North African teams – Tunisia and Algeria – as well as Botswana, in Group B of the 13th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Morocco next summer.
The Falcons will surely relish another meeting with Algeria’s Green Ladies, whom they defeated 2-0 and 4-1 respectively in two friendly matches in Nigeria last month.
Botswana eliminated Gabon in the qualifying series and Tunisia were the quarter-finalists at the last edition also hosted by Morocco.
At the draw conducted on Friday evening at the Technical Centre of the Mohamed VI Football Complex in Sale, outside Rabat, host nation Morocco, earlier slotted into Group A, learnt they will have to cope with Zambia, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cup holders South Africa are in Group C and will square up to Ghana, Mali and Tanzania in the three-week, 12-nation final tournament taking place 5th – 26th July 2025.
Hosts Morocco finished as runners-up in the last edition in July 2022, with Zambia taking the bronze after a 1-0 defeat of Nigeria in the third-place match.
GROUP A: Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo
GROUP B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana
GROUP C: South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania
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