WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Twice-taken penalty kick lifts lack-of-scoring England in 1-0 win over Haiti

Published

1 year ago

July 22, 2023

FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Group D - England v Haiti - Brisbane Football Stadium, Brisbane, Australia - July 22, 2023 England's Alessia Russo in action with Haiti's Tabita Joseph REUTERS/Dan Peled

England coach Sarina Wiegman says her squad are missing the ruthlessness needed to score goals, a troubling tendency that reared its ugly head in a 1-0 victory over minnows Haiti at the Women’s World Cup on Saturday.

Georgia Stanway’s penalty kick was the game’s only goal, stretching the Lionesses’ lack of a goal from open play to more than three games.

Haiti coach Nicolas Delepine had said a day earlier when asked about England’s weakness that they struggled in front of goal. There was no argument from Wiegman.

“I would say ruthlessness,” Wiegman told a press conference. “Well, it’s easy to say, ruthlessness.

“Sometimes it’s the connection with the cross, the timing of the cross, where the cross actually ends in the penalty box, then the connection in front of the goal, little things like that, that at the end you hope goes in.”

England misfired numerous times on Saturday, denied both by Haiti’s keeper Kerly Theus and their own timing and aim.

“We were very close a couple of times to scoring a goal and then of course, their defence was tough too,” Wiegman said. “So, we just keep trying, keep working on it.”

Haiti were a revelation in front of largely pro-England crowd of 44,369, playing far better than their 53rd ranking. They gave England fits all night, particularly Melchie Dumornay, a 19-year-old who plays for Lyon.

Dumornay fired a fierce right-footed shot that Mary Earps was forced to save early in the second half, and attempted a bicycle kick that, had it hit its mark, would surely have been a stunning finish.

“I can say if we do that against England we can do anything against anyone,” Dumornay told reporters.

Wiegman credited Haiti, making their World Cup debut, with playing a “very good game, too”.

“As we expected, unpredictable, very direct, very strong in their counter-attack,” the Dutch coach said. “They were really quick and very athletic, and we had to play the ball quicker to stay out of the duels, because there were physical too.

“I think the other two countries are going to really struggle with them. But of course, that’s not our problem. I’m just really happy that we got the win, and we have the first three points in a very hard game.”

England’s scoring drought comes despite their record 80 goals in World Cup qualifying. Ella Toone is the last player to have scored from open play, back on April 7 against Brazil in the Finalissima at Wembley.

Stanway said the victory was what counted.

“It’s so important when you get going in the tournament,” the midfielder said. “It’s been a long buildup to today and I think we’re kind of happy to just get over the line.

“They caused us problems, they were threatening on the counter-attack, they were fast and they were physical. And, yeah, they challenged us in areas that we probably didn’t really expect.”

The Lionesses play Denmark on July 28, then China on Aug. 1.

-Reuters

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Two Nigerian women’s clubs get financial boost from FIFA

Published

3 days ago

July 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Following the record-setting FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, 1,041 clubs from 48 FIFA Member Associations across all six confederations are to receive a share of the revenue for the release of players who participated in the tournament.

Going by the final list of players submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to the tournament, two domestic club sides, Abia Angels and Rivers Angels will profit from the $11 million largess.

The funds have been made available via FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme (CBP), which was introduced ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 to recognise the fundamental role that clubs play in developing players. The total amount committed to clubs that released and/or trained the stars of women’s football rose to USD 11.3m for the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ from USD 8.48m four years earlier.

Nearly two million fans at the tournament’s ten stadiums – and two billion following around the world – witnessed a new standard of women’s football at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, and now the clubs that played integral roles in shaping the talents of all 736 players at the tournament are to be rewarded.

“Strong clubs are crucial to the growth of women’s football, so distributing funding to over 1,000 clubs that have been instrumental in developing the world’s top female footballers is just one way that FIFA can offer its support,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino yesterday.

“What’s truly unique about this programme is that FIFA does not only reward the clubs that released the players for the tournament but also the clubs that have contributed to each player’s development between the ages of 12 and 22.

This development also means that most of the players who began their careers in Nigeria before their sojourn overseas will benefit from the gesture from the world football body.

“This model ensures that crucial funding as well as the incentive for clubs to provide the best possible training and environment for female talent – reaches every part of the global football ecosystem, benefiting grassroots and professional clubs.”

The number of clubs that were identified by FIFA as eligible to receive payments via the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 CBP increased by 219 clubs from 822 in 2019 to 1,041 in 2023. Positively, the number of clubs across FIFA’s Member Associations also increased from 39 in 2019 to 48 in 2023.

Each club’s share has been determined by the role that they played in a player’s development or participation in the tournament, either as a releasing club, a training club, or both.

Each eligible releasing club will receive an equal amount per player per day at the tournament, counting from the beginning of the release period (10 July 2023) and finishing the day following the last match of the player’s national team at the tournament.

Each training club will receive an amount based on the number of training periods the player spent at the club between ages 12 and 22, with each year consisting of a maximum of two training periods. The number of days that the player spent at the tournament is also factored in, however, the number of minutes played by a player in any given match at the tournament is irrelevant, with all players treated equally based on the number of days that they were at the tournament.

In the 1,043 clubs, UEFA dominated in numbers with 581 Asia Federation was next with 151 clubs while CONCACAF was next with 108 just as COMEBOL followed with 95 and then CAF with 76 clubs and Oceania Federation took the rear with just 30 clubs.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers draw holds on Wednesday

Published

6 days ago

July 20, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The 2024-2025 women’s interclub football season will officially kick off on Wednesday, 24 July, with the draw for the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers in 4 zones: UNAF, UNIFFAC, WAFU B and CECAFA.

The draw will be conducted at 10:00 GMTat the CAF Headquarters in Egypt and live-streamed on CAF TV and CAFOnline.com.

Below are the teams entered by zone and the dates of the qualifying tournaments:

WAFU B (10 – 23 August): Ainonvi FC (Benin), Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana), Inter d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), AO Étincelles OU USFA (Burkina Faso), AS Garde Nationale (Niger), Edo Queens (Nigeria), ASKO de Kara (Togo).

UNAF (21 – 31 August): CF Akbou (Algeria), Tutankhamun (Egypt), AS Far (Morocco), ASF Sousse (Tunisia)

CECAFA (17 August – 4 September): PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), FAD (Djibouti), CBE FC (Ethiopia), Kenya Police Bullets (Kenya), Kawempe Muslim (Uganda), Rayon Sports (Rwanda), Yei Joint Stars (South Sudan), Simba Queens (Tanzania), Warriors Queens (Zanzibar)

UNIFFAC (16 – 24 August): Lekié FF (Cameroon), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Atlético de Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), CSM Diables Noirs (Congo)

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Colombia 2024: Danjuma invites 32 as countdown begins to Final Tournament

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Flying Eagles, Falconets To Resume Camp On Thursday -

With just eight weeks to their first match of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, Head Coach Chris Musa Danjuma has called up four goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and 12 strikers to a training camp in the Federal Capital, Abuja in the first phase of preparation for the global tournament.

Team captain Oluchi Ohaegbulem is top of the list, with first-choice goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Shukurat Oladipo and Comfort Folorunsho, midfielders Chinyere Kalu, Adoo Yina and Rofiat Imuran, and forwards Janet Akekoromowei, Flourish Sabastine and Aminat Bello also called.

Nigeria, a fixture at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals since the tournament began as an U19 event in Canada 22 years ago, will contend with three-time winners Germany, Asian powerhouse Korea Republic and South American representatives Venezuela in group D of the competition scheduled for three Colombian cities, 31^st August – 22^nd September.

All the invited are expected at Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja on Sunday, 7^th July.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Anderline Mgbechi (Delta Queens); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons); Faith Omilana (Naija Ratels); Shukura Bakare (Nasarawa Amazons)

Defenders: Oluchi Ohaegbulem (Nasarawa Amazons); Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); Shukurat Oladipo (FC Robo Queens); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Naija Ratels); Folashade Adegbemile (Delta Queens); Chidera Okenwa (Delta Queens); Comfort Folorunsho (Edo Queens); Taiwo Lawal

Midfielders: Adoo Yina (Nasarawa Amazons); Olushola Shobowale (Nasarawa Amazons); Aminat Folorunsho (Rivers Angels); Chioma Olise (Edo Queens); Chinyere Kalu (Nasarawa Amazons); Joy Igbokwe (Naija Ratels); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France); Zikora Agama (Naija Ratels)

Forwards: Delight Nwosu (Dannaz Ladies); Adaobi Okah (Remo Stars Ladies); Chiamaka Okwuchukwu (Rivers Angels); Chinaza Agoh (Delta Queens); Mary Nkpa (Heartland Queens); Chiamaka Osigwe (Edo Queens); Janet Akekoromowei (Asisat Academy); Mary Offor (Adamawa Queens); Flourish Sabastine (Stade de Reims, France); Sharon Ulumma (Heartland Queens); Aminat Bello (Otero College, USA); Reilly Adebowale (Bohemian FC, Republic of Ireland)