BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Dropping a whopping 69.33 points in the current FIFA rankings, Nigeria’s Super Falcons are adjudged as the team with the biggest drop by points.

Though they remain the first in Africa, their global ranking slumped from 39 in on 17 June to 47 on 5 August.

Their slump could be linked to the performances at the last month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations where they played six matches and won just three, a far cry from their previous outings.

They could not also make a podium appearance. Their conquerors in the bronze medal match, Zambia are adjudged to have both the biggest move by points and also by rank when they moved 23 places up the ladder to 80^th position.

Winners of WAFCON, South Africa also have impressive move from 58^th in the world to 54^th.

In Africa, the African queens moved from third position to second.

At global level, US still remain on top in a ranling that took into consideration 221 matches played since 17 June.

CAF has released the Best XI of the 2022  Women’s Africa Cup of Nations following the completion of the history-making tournament in Morocco.

This compilation of players by members of CAF’s Technical Study Group (TSG) brings together the best performers in each position over the last three weeks.

South Africa’s custodian Andile Dlamini, who was named the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament for her role in guiding Banyana Banyana to victory, starts between the posts. Dlamini kept three clean sheets in the six games her side played and was a leader on and off the pitch.

In a four-woman defensive setup, South Africa’s Bambanani Mbane partners Osinachi Ohale of Nigeria in an enviable pairing that would make many a forward sweat to find the back of the net. Both strong in character provided a protection role for their teams consistently throughout the tournament.

At right back, Zambia’s Margaret Belemu and Zineb Redouani of Morocco who are lethal with and without the ball complete the defense line.

In front of this defensive lineup is the captains’ midfield with Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak partnering Grace Chanda from Zambia and Jane Refiloe from South Africa.

The three captains bring a touch of class, an understanding of the game and passing abilities that have the power to change the course and destiny of a game. All three have been nicknamed “conductors”. They take charge and control the ball and make it do as they please. That mastery stood out all tournament – consistently.

Chebbak who was named as the Player of the Tournament was also joint top scorer with three goals.

To complete the fancy 4-3-3 formation, Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade ‘the Blue Haired Girl” also joint top scorer of the tournament with three goals comes in on the right side while Moroccan Fatima Tagnaout brings quality on the left wing and to spice things up, in comes South Africa’s Jermaine Seoposenwe up front to lead the line.

Pace, quick decision-making and an eye for goal is what makes this trio special. With supply from the midfield maestros, scoring goals is as easy as pie.

This 4-3-3 lineup would destroy any opposition in front of them and produce a memorable display of football.

-Cafonline

It’s time for the massive 2022  Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and South Africa’s Banyana Banyana at Rabat’s Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex. Before tonight’s big game CAF Online looked at the WAFCON final by the numbers.

0 – The 2018 final is the only edition to end 0-0 and be decided on penalties. Nigeria won a 9th title, defeating South Africa on spot kicks.

1 – Victory for South Africa handed them their first WAFCON title.

2 – Morocco’s loss means that host nations have lost in the final thrice previously, South Africa in 2000 and Cameroon in 2016, both to Nigeria. Victory for either nation will see them become the second country along with Nigeria to have their men’s and women’s teams crowned continental champions. Morocco were AFCON winners in 1976 and South Africa in 1996.

3 – The winner will become the third nation to win the WAFCON title, after Equatorial Guinea who have two titles and Nigeria with 9. They will also be the first new winner of the tournament since Equatorial Guinea in 2008.

4 – South Africa have won four games at the current tournament by a single goal, they have won their last three games 1-0. They only won a game in Morocco by a greater margin against Burundi 3-1 in the group stages.

5 – South Africa are participating in their fifth WAFCON final. They have now reached a final in Central, West, North and Southern Africa and are the first team to reach WAFCON finals in four hemispheres of the continent. It is the first time they have reached back-to-back finals.

6 – Victory for Morocco will see the host nation win the WAFCON title for the 6th time. Nigeria in 1998, 2002 and 2006 as well as Equatorial Guinea in 2008 and 2012 have won on home soil previously.

7 – This is South Africa’s 7th meeting with a WAFCON host. They have lost all of their previous six encounters against the hosts. Morocco are the fourth host nation they will face along with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. It is their third meeting in a final with a host. They lost to Equatorial Guinea in 2008 and 2012.

8– This will be the 8th time that the hosts have reached the final along with Cameroon (2016), Equatorial Guinea (2008 & 2012), Nigeria (1998, 2002 & 2006) and South Africa (2000).

9 – Nigeria are the most successful country in the competition, winning the title on 9 occasions, the joint most continental titles in Women’s Football along with China (AFC) and the USA (CONCACAF).

10 – Should the winning nation manage to keep a clean-sheet it will be the 10th time in WAFCON final history that the winners’ defence has not been breached. Only twice before in 2008 (EQG 2 RSA 1) and 2010 (NGA 4 EQG 2) have both teams scored in the final.

100 – The percentage of wins that Nigeria have in the final of the WAFCON, winning all 9 of the Championship games they have played in WAFCON finals.