AWCON
WAFCON 2022 enters sudden death stage – World Cup ticket in sight as Zambia clash with Senegal 
The stakes are so high when Senegal face Zambia in Casablanca today that Senegal’s coach Mame Moussa Cissé knows there will be little need for his pre-match talk.
The team that wins this quarter final will qualify directly for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which would be a first for either of these nations.
“No speech can motivate more than the stakes of this match, a place in the last four of this competition, but above all qualification for the World Cup. This generation can be a pioneer in Senegal, and change the course of the history of women’s football in the country,” says Cissé.
The Lionesses of Teranga will be boosted by the return of three key players in Coumba Sylla Mbodji, Anta Dembélé and Nguenar Ndiaye, who have all again tested negative for Covid-19.
“Zambia is not to be taken lightly. They finished first in a group that contained Cameroon and Tunisia, two difficult teams to play against, which we met during our preparation for WAFCON,” warns Senegal’s Ndeye Awa Diakité, before adding that “we are aware of our strengths and will give everything to win”.
On the other hand, the Copper Queens are full of confidence, before their clash.
“We are well prepared. It is true that we have come a long way, but since the second group game we have been stepping up,” said Hazel Nali, Zambia’s goalkeeper.
When Bruce Mwapé, the Zambian coach, was asked how he viewed Senegal, he replied: “They are a good team who did not arrive at this level by chance. We have a lot of respect for them, but we don’t fear them”.
Senegal and Zambia have a fairly similar playing identity, relying on an attacking trio (Mapepa-Chanda-Chitundu for Copper Queens and Diallo-Ndiaye-Baldé supported by Diakité for Senegal) and a solid defence (both have conceded only one goal in the tournament to date).
The goal of qualifying for the World Cup hugely motivates both teams.
“This is not the time to give up,” says Bruce Mwapé.
Qualifying for a FIFA World Cup, in turn says Diakite, will bring so much to women’s football in Senegal.
“Being the first generation to be able to do this must not be synonymous with the last, our young sisters are watching us, they must now say to themselves that it is possible,” concludes Diakité ahead of the biggest game of her and her country’s history.
-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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