AWCON
Cliff-hanger as Super Falcons face perennial rivals in battle for World Cup ticket
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Battle Field: Complexe Sportif Mohamed V Casablanca, Morocco
Time: 6pm
If history and tradition are anything to go by, Nigeria’s Super Falcons are favoured to subdue Cameroon again in a potentially explosive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tonight in Morocco.
In 14 previous encounters, Nigeria won definitively 12 times, drew another one which they won on penalties and just lost once in regulation time.
So dominating are the Nigerians on statistics the the Super Falcons have scored 31 goals against Cameroon and conceded only five to achieve a goal different of 26.
In fact, in encounters that dated back to 1991, it took Cameroon nine years to score a goal against Super Falcons. Even then, in that match, it was a heavy defeat for Cameroon as they were thrashed 5-1.
But gradually the Nigerian eastern neighbours are coming up. In the only defeat inflicted on Nigeria, the Super Falcons were denied the ticket to the London 2012 Olympics.
Sadly, the Super Falcons have been unable to get to the Olympic Games ever since. They lost out in the qualification to Rio 2016 and also to Tokyo 2020.
A loss to Cameroon in October 2011 in Yaounde triggered off the successive Nigeria’s non-qualification to the Olympics.
The Super Falcons had won the first leg 2-1 at home, but lost by the same margin in the return leg that then produced a 3-3 aggregate scores. Nigeria lost the ensuing tie-breaking penalty shoo-out 3-4.
Save for that, the football tradition at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup have been in Nigeria’s favour.
The Cameroonians were the springboard for NIgeria’s qualifications for the inaugural Women’s World Cup in China in 1991 after an aggregate score lines of 6-0.
Ever since, the Super Falcons have been a recurring decimal at the world stage. A defeat of Cameroon tonight will uphold the tradition as the qualification for the World Cup ticket is an added advantage of picking a semi-final slot in the on-going WAFCON.
In the framework of WAFCON, both teams are meeting in record eight times. All the past seven encounters have been in Super Falcons’ favour.
These include two final matches in 2014in Namibia and 2016 in Cameroon. There last encounter in Ghana was a thriller. Both played goalless draw even till extra time.
Nigeria prevailed in the cliff-hanging encounter 4-2 in the ensuing penalty shoot-out. Their encounter is projected as the star match of the quarter finals of Morocco 2022.
TALE OF THE TAPE
P W D L F A GD
Nigeria 14 12 1 1 31 5 26
Cameroon 14 1 1 12 5 31 -26
- 15June1991(WCq)Nigeria 2 – 0 Cameroon
- 30June1991 (WCq) Cameroon 0 – 4 Nigeria
- 27 Oct.1998 (AWC) Nigeria 6 – 0 Cameroon
- 6 Oct.2003 (AAG) Nigeria 1 – 0 Cameroon
- 18Nov.2000 (AWC) Cameroon 0 – 3 Nigeria
- 25 Aug.2005 (F) Nigeria 1 – 0 Cameroon
- 11 Nov. 2010 (AWC) Cameroon 1-5 Nigeria
- 5 Jul.2011 (Oq) Nigeria 2 – 1 Cameroon
- 22 Oct. 2011 (Oq) Cameroon 2-1 Nigeria
- 29 Oct. 2012 (AWC) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 29 Apr. 2014 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Nigeria
- 25 Oct. 2014 (AWC final) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
- 3 Dec. 2016 (AWC final) Cameroon 0-1 Nigeria
- 27 Nov. 2019 (AWC semi) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria (2-4pso)
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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