AWCON
WAFCON – Burundi’s Nahimana blasts: ‘Playing against Nigeria is a great opportunity’ 
They started the tournament slowly, but a dangerous Nigeria is picking up momentum at WAFCON 2022 and they have Burundi in their sights tonight at Rabat’s Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex, as they look to qualify for the quarter finals in style.
Both sides need a win to secure qualification for the knockout stages, though the Swallows know their task will not be an easy one against a country that has absolutely dominated this competition.
“We are going to play against a very experienced team at WAFCON. We want to correct our past mistakes made in the previous two games we have played so far and we hope to do well,” said Burundi’s Falonne Nahimana, who plays for Huddersfield TAFC in the United Kingdom.
Commenting on her participation in the continent’s biggest women’s football tournament, Nahimana said graciously: “I am very grateful to the Federation for giving me the opportunity to play for the Burundian team and Sunday’s match is my dream match and playing against a great team like Nigeria is a great opportunity. For us, as players, we have to go and fight as a team and do it with respect for our country”.
For Gustave Niyonkuru’s team, this is a unique opportunity to announce their arrival on the big stage.
The Swallows have played two games and lost 4-2 to Botswana and 3-1 to South Africa, but Nahimana believes they have what it takes to redeem themselves.
Meanwhile, Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum said ahead of the game: “We want to build on the confidence we gained by winning our second game. When you enter the third group game, as coaches you have to make choices. Some of our players have already played 90 minutes twice and it’s a long tournament.
“If you are lucky enough to have six games, you need to be aware of what you need to do. So we have to try to find that balance”.
The match will be played at 21h00 local time, the same time South Africa face Botswana at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in the other game that rounds off
-Cafonline
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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