AWCON
Morocco win first WAFCON match in 24 years
Hosts Morocco got their 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to a winning start with a hard-fought 1-0 win over a gallant Burkina Faso at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.
Captain Ghizlane Chebbak’s free-kick just before the half-hour was enough to earn the North Africans their first win in the competition for 24 years.
The Atlas Lionesses were made to sweat for their win in the tournament opener in Group A, but ultimately got the job done, with captain Ghizlane Chebbak’s goal in the 29th minute enough to give the hosts a narrow win.
Playing in front of a passionate and partisan home crowd, Morocco were comfortably the better team on the night and were full value for their win.
For all their dominance though, coach Reynald Pedros’ side struggled to put away the Stallions, spurning good second half chances that fell to Rosella Ayyane and Imane Saoud.
The Moroccans, however, found goalkeeper Mariam Ouattara in fine form in repelling many of their attacks.
Matchwinner Chebbak was elected “Woman of the Match” and was quick to thank the Moroccan fans for coming out in numbers and for providing fervent support.
She called on them to be “just as present in the next meetings to achieve the goal of qualification for the World Cup”.
A semifinal spot and attaining automatic qualification for the FIFA World Cup would be a fantastic achievement for the hosts in their first staging of the WAFCON.
They showed last night, though, that they will be uncomfortable opponents in this tournament for any team, with the fanatical crowd behind them.
Chebbak promised that as the tournament progresses “the performance of the Lionesses will be better and that the whole group intends to make the Moroccan people happy.
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
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
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