AWCON
‘La Decima’-chasing Super Falconets urged to be truly Super
Nigeria’s women national team are chasing their 10th title which in the lingo of LaLiga is oftern termed ‘la Decima’
The President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick on Sunday told the team to bulldoze their way 10th African title as the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco begins in five days time.
Pinnick spoke on Sunday night while hosting the nine-time champions to a special dinner at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“There is not much for me tell you about the need to go all out there and conquer; it is something you are used to because you have the spirit, the energy and the aura of champions. You have won this trophy nine times out of 11 and you have to go for the 10th with equal passion and desire.
“Surely, there will be teams that would believe they can topple you from your throne; from your position as champions. I have no doubt that you have the capacity to deal with every opposition and emerge champions once more.”
Pinnick’s dinner guests included NFF Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League, Ms Aisha Falode; Head Coach Randy Waldrum and his assistants; 25 players and; Super Falcons’ backroom staff.
Meanwhile, the Super Falcons’ contingent has landed in Casablanca, and already moved to Morocco’s administrative capital, Rabat where the team will camp for seven days before their crunch opening match of Group C against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the same city on Monday, 4th July.
The Falcons will also play Botswana (Thursday, 7th July) and Burundi (Sunday, 10th July) in the group phase.
All four semi-finalists in Morocco will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia & New Zealand next year, with the fifth-placed team handed an opportunity to also gain a place through a Playoff Tournament taking place early next year.
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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