AWCON
High expectations, as draw ceremonies for Women AFCON, CHAN hold in Morocco
Nigeria is among the very few countries with all-encompassing interests as the draw ceremonies for this year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations and the qualification series for next year’s African Nations Championship hold in Morocco on Friday.
The Mohamed VI Complex in the North African kingdom has been scheduled to host the glamour event, which will bundle the 12 teams qualified for the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations into three groups of four teams each, and also divide the teams entered for the 7th African Nations Championship into pools for the qualification series.
Nine –time champions and Cup holders Nigeria have been picked as leaders of Group C, with host nation Morocco at the top of Group A and Cameroon heading Group B. The nine other countries qualified to participate are: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, Botswana, Uganda and Zambia.
Nigeria won the Women AFCON titles in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018. The 2020 competition was obliterated by the covid19 pandemic. Equatorial Guinea won the competition in 2008 and 2012, but have lost their venom and dazzle in the past few years and failed to reach this year’s finals.
All four semi finalists from the finals in Morocco, which is set for 2nd – 23rd July, will fly Africa’s flag at the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.
In the African Nations Championship, Nigeria are looking for a first triumph, after finishing as runners-up in Morocco four years ago and picking the bronze medals in South Africa in 2014. Next year’s finals will be staged in Algeria.
The African Nations Championship, exclusively for footballers plying their trade in their home country, started in 2009 and was hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, with Sudan hosting the second edition in 2011. The event was moved to even years subsequently, with South Africa hosting in 2014, Rwanda in 2016, Morocco in 2018 and Cameroon in 2020 (staged in 2021 as a result of the covid19 pandemic).
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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