AWCON
WAFCON: Tunisia too strong for debutants Togo
Lucidity, audacity, efficiency and above all a big dose of talent, that is the recipe for Tunisian success.
And Samir Landolsi’s girls showed all those qualities in abundance as they beat tournament debutants Togo 4-1 in their TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2022 opener last night.
It took just 15 seconds for Tunisia to open the scoring by Tunisia’s rising star Meriem Houij, who was elected Woman of the Match.
“I just thought I would score and make my country and my team happy, it was essential,” Houji said at the post-match press conference.
It was all-action stuff and in the twelfth minute it was Sabrine Ellouzi who doubled the Tunisians’ advantage as all seemed too easy for the Carthage Eagles.
But a proud Togo side overcame the initial nerves of playing in their very first WAFCON fixture and started forcing their way back into the game.
And in the 22nd minute Togo were awarded a penalty, with captain Odette Gnintegma taking on the responsibilities and tucking away her penalty neatly to become Togo’s first scorer in the history of this competition.
It was 2-1 in an entertaining first half at the break.
As they emerged from the locker room, the Tunisian women showed another side of their game as they reasserted their ascendancy by effectively using Samia Ouni and Ghada Ayadi in creative, attacking roles.
This led to the Tunisians controlling the game, with the Togolese women having no answer to the North Africans’ onslaught and unable to create any opportunities to get back into the game. The West Africans’ woes were compounded as their defender Omolatcho Djankale received a red card for dangerous play to reduce Togo to 10 players.
It was a situation that severely handicapped Togo and with their numerical superiority, Tunisia took advantage and scored two more second half goals.
Ellouzi added a second of the match and an Amouklou Ame own goal added insult to injury for the hapless Togolese.
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
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