AWCON
Burkina, Uganda cancel themselves out of WAFCON after 2-2 draw
Ten-woman Burkina Faso and Uganda crashed out of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage of Friday when they played out to a 2-2 draw on Friday.
The result of the entertaining match in Casablanca was not enough to advance from Group A of the tournament in Morocco that has been dominated by the hosts and Senegal.
Goalkeeping errors aided the two sides to their victories as Burkina needed to respond on two occasions after the East Africans had taken the lead.
Margret Kunihira put Uganda in the lead and the amazing solo effort from Adama Congo drew her side level before Naomie Kabre’s fortuitous effort cancelled out Sandra Nabweteme’s goal.
Despite losing defender Madinatou Rouamba in the 17th minute it did not deter Burkina from pressing forward as both sides needed to win the match to stand any chance of advancing.
The two sides’ inability to win their first matches meant that they needed to win the game to have a chance of finishing among the best third placed teams.
Kunihira put Uganda in early as her feeble shot managed to beat Burkina goalkeeper Mariam Ouattara before Rouamba was given her marching orders for a dangerous tackle.
Congo weaved some magic after outwitting three defenders to equalise before a weak effort by Nabweteme restored Uganda lead.
Uganda goalkeeper Daisy Nakaziro failed to properly handle Balkissa Sawadogo’s cross which resulted in the ball hitting Burkina attacker Kabre for the equaliser.
With both sides finishing the group with one point each, they will have no chance of progressing from the entertaining Group A.
Morocco will now play the best third-placed teams from either group B or C in the quarter-final while second place Senegal will face the winner of Group B.
Winners of the quarter-final matches will secure qualification to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Two losers of the quarter-finals will have another chance to secure qualification as they will be engaged in inter-continental playoffs.
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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