AWCON
WAFCON: Super Falcons back into reckoning!
Cup holders Nigeria have revived the hopes of extending their grips on the Women Africa Cup of Nations after beating initial table-toppers, Botswana 2-0 Thursday, night.
The win atoned for the 2-1 loss to South Africa and the Falcons will be sure of moving to the next day if they win their next match against bottom-placed Burundi on Sunday.
Thursday night win see the team exchange their match day 1 positions with Burundi who are now third on the log – the position Nigeria occupied Monday night.
However after two victories, South Africa are already assured of next round as they also rise to the top of the table.
Botswana, 4-2 winners over Burundi on the opening day, were stuck in second place following the Super Falcons’ 1-2 reverse against the Banyana Banyana.
On Thursday, US –based forward Ifeaoma Onumonu, who scored two of the three goals that downed Cote d’Ivoire’s Lady Elephants in the final qualifying fixture, put the Falcons on their way with a sweet finish in the 21st minute from an intelligent through pass crafted by Halimat Ayinde.
Prior to that, the champions looked brighter on the break than they did against South Africa, with Rasheedat Ajibade, Ifeaoma Onumonu and Francisca Ordega launching onslaughts that unsettled the Botswanans.
In the 26th minute, Nigeria could have been two goals up when Ordega found Toni Payne with a stylish pass and the defender sent the ball into the box, only for the southern Africans to clear their lines. Two minutes later, Onumonu failed to control in good time a good pass by Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene.
Botswana had their own song in the half, with Tholakele rattling goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie from a 22-yard free-kick in the 31st minute and then shooting straight at the Nigerian goal-tender six minutes later.
Substitute Christy Ucheibe, with her first touch of the ball, scored Nigeria’s second goal in the 48th minute when she rose highest in the box to nod home Toni Payne’s heaved effort from a corner kick.
Five minutes later, Ucheibe controlled and lashed slightly over the bar, and when Gift Monday and Regina Otu entered the fray in place of Ordega and Okobi-Okeoghene in the 63rd minute, Nigeria’s rejuvenation was unmistakable.
Onumonu had a couple more chances; Ayinde’s angled shot from 25 yards was punched away and; Uchenna Kanu’s shot was blocked as Nigeria pulled no punches in the fore.
The Super Falcons will on Sunday come up against their counterparts from Burundi, with a win certain to guarantee a place in the quarter-finals of the championship.
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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