AWCON
Intimidating Morocco crowd or not, we are determined to get to WAFCON final says Okobi-Okeoghene
For the Moroccans, the encounter with Nigeria this evening is akin to the final match of WAFCON as they are having their best moment ever.
The fixture recalls their very first WAFCON match back in 1998 when the rampaging Super Falcons pummelled them 8-0, their heaviest defeat.
Morocco have however been revelling in the current edition winning all their four matches while Nigeria have only won three having lost the opening game to South Africa.
But that is where the fairy tale of Morocco ends. The four matches won on home soil are their only victories in the 24 -year history of the tournament.
They have qualified for the WAFCON twice in 1998 and 2000 and lost all matches including twice to Nigeria. In 1998, Nigeria won 8-0. In 2000 in South Africa, Nigeria won again 6-0. This is their third clash in the series and the 11th WAFCON match for Morocco.
Nigeria, the dominant power in WAFCON have played 59 matches and lost just six. This match will be their 12th semi-final match. They failed only twice in 2008 and 2012.
But apart from the 11 Moroccan players on the pitch, the Super Falcons have the 12th force, the crowd to contend with.
But that may not be a big issue if what the 28-year old Sonia Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene told cafonline.
“We have played against teams playing at home and we know how to manage games like this. We do not care about how many people are in the stadium. We shall come into this game with the sole purpose of winning and going to the final.”
The reference here are the 2-0, before the abandonment of the final match against South Africa in 2000 and the 1-0 defeat of Cameroon in 2016 in front of over 42,000 fans inside the Ahmadu Ahidjo Stadium.
According to Ngozi, that experience will come in handy. The Sweden-based midfield genius is hoping to play in her fifth WAFCON final, but Morocco stands in their way.
Morocco may not be dependant on home support alone. Their coach, Reynald Pedros told cafonline:
“We are preparing the same way that we have been preparing for the other matches. We are doing our best. After the quarter-final, we are well-rested and trying to remain focused on our next objective. We have qualified for the World Cup and now our next target is to make it to the final and win the WAFCON 2022.”
“Nigeria is truly a strong team – the strongest in Africa. They always qualify for the World Cup. We have studied them and know their strength and I can say that in the semifinal, everything is possible. We need to do our best.”
“We know that they are strong. They are the strongest for many years. We know this, however, we are going to do our best in this game. We know who we are facing. It is up to us,” Pedros pointed out.
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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