AWCON
Morocco, projected hosts of U23 AFCON tournament are Africa’s most preferred hosts
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Morocco, with five unsuccessful bids for the FIFA World Cup may have become the ultimate destination for hosting of football competitions in the continent.
They had failed in the bid for the World Cup in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010 and 2026. Yet they are unrelenting and are planning another bid for the 2030 edition.
The kingdom, currently hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has also been designated as the host country for the Under 23 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to run from 2 to 16 November next year. The two finalists and the second runners-up will secure tickets to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The award of the hosting rights comes after Morocco had also hosted what is the last one-match final of the CAF Champions League this year.
The kingdom has always being the preferred venues for other African countries for their ‘home’ matches. Sao Tome last month took their home match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against Nigeria to Agadir in Morocco.
Most African countries moved their home matches of the World Cup qualifiers to Morocco. Sports Village Square recalls that in the penultimate closing state of the Qatar 2022 qualifiers, there was a five-day seven-match ‘Festival’ of World Cup qualifiers in the kingdom.
.Within the period, a series of seven World Cup qualifying matches involving 10 countries including Nigeria were played. The kingdom possibly become everyone’s destination due to its world-class infrastructure.
With arenas in some of African countries ruled inadequate and coupled with unrest, instability as well as deteriorating health conditions in some of the countries, the ultimate destination turned to be Morocco.
The countries with inadequate facilities included: Sudan, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Liberia. They all opted for Morocco for their home games just as they did in the days leading to 2015 Afcon when owing to outbreak of Ebola virus, Guinea took their matches to Morocco.
The ‘mini World Cup’ took place between November 12 and Tuesday 16, as part of the qualifying rounds for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Rabat, and Casablanca will host the games.
If the seven matches are added to the eight Morocco had earlier hosted within the qualifying series for Qatar 2022, the country is on record as having most World Cup qualifying matches.
The games were:
- Morocco versus Sudan on November 12 in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat at 8:00 p.m.
- Also on November 12, Burkina Faso played Niger at Grand Stadium in Marrakech at 2:00 p.m.
- On 13 November in group C, Liberia played Nigeria in Tangier Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
- The next day, 14 November, Mali played Uganda on at Agadir Grand Stadium before facing their Central African Republic counterpart on November 16 in Tangier at 5:00 p.m
- Guinea Bissau and Sudan in Group E also faced off on November 15 in Marrakech Grand Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
- The encounter between Morocco and Guinea, took place at 8:00 p.m. on November 16 at Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca,bringing the ‘mini African World Cup’ the series to a close.
Before then, Morocco had hosted eight African qualifying matches for Qatar World Cup 2022, from October 12 to 16.
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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