WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Ahead of Women’s World Cup clash: The ties that bind Morocco and France
France and Morocco have little left to learn about each other ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in Adelaide in the round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
Bound by history, the two nations have strong footballing ties too. Summing up the relationship that exists between them on the pitch, France left-back Sakina Karchaoui recalled a very recent and high-profile encounter between the two: the semi-final between Les Bleus and the Atlas Lions at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
“It was a match that was full of emotion for the two countries,” she said. “There’s no animosity between the two, anything but. We came together through sport then and we hope we can generate the same level of feeling now.”
The French defender is a symbol of the close links between the two teams. Proud to represent Les Bleues, she was born in southern France to Moroccan parents. “It’s a very emotional occasion, for me especially, but we have to switch off from all that on the pitch. We are elite athletes after all.”
Five of Reynald Pedros’ Morocco squad play their club football in France, among them Anissa Lahmari, the hero of the hour against Colombia. The midfielder runs out for Guingamp in the French top flight and also played for Les Bleues at youth level. “Anissa is a friend,” said Karchaoui, “I’ve kept in touch with her and I’m happy she’s in the team because she deserves it.”
When they arrive at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium on Tuesday, both sets of players will have good reason to share a chat and a hug or two. Though she is keen not to “pay any attention” to her opponents on the day, the France midfielder will no doubt catch up before the game with Morocco forward Kenza Chapelle, a former team-mate at French Division 1 club Fleury FC.
Pedros has a few familiar faces to meet up with too, with several of his former Lyon charges appearing in the France line-up: Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha, Amel Majri and Eugenie Le Sommer.
“I had two years with him at Lyon and we won some titles together,” said Le Sommer. “He’s played a big part in my career and it’s special to see him again at the World Cup, especially with Morocco and at this stage of the competition. It’s something I could never imagined.”
In this most Francophone of meetings, there are connections everywhere. Take Herve Renard’s team of assistant coaches, led by David Ducci, who have worked in Moroccan women’s football and know pretty much all there is to know about it.
Les Bleues coach also knows the Moroccan national team set-up well too, having taken charge of the Atlas Lions between 2016 and 2019, a tenure that included an appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. So strong is his attachment to them, in fact, that he made it clear he would be supporting his former players when they took on his native France in the semi-finals at Qatar 2022.
“It feels like we’re going to a big family reunion,” said Karchaoui.
With a place in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup at stake, it is a reunion that promises to be a very exciting one.
-Caf
Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.
They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.
Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.
Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash
The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.
Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.
The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.
The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.
According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.
During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.
The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.
The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket
The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.
Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.
They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.
Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
Nigeria Premier League attains a crescendo this weekend
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL7 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature5 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu