WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Opening of FIFA Women’s World Cup set to shatter records
The opening night (day time in Nigeria ans most parts of Africa and Europe) of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Thursday is set to break attendance records in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand for women’s football as the tournament continues to reach new milestones.
The opening match in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau between the Football Ferns and Norway is likely to surpass the host nation’s previous biggest crowd for an international football match (37,000), set when the All Whites played Peru in 2017. It is also expected to more than treble the largest crowd ever for the Football Ferns, which came in January this year when 12,721 fans turned out to see Jitka Klimková’s side challenge the USA.
Meanwhile, Australian fans will also beat their record crowd for a women’s football match, which was set only a few days ago when 50,629 fans attended the Matildas warm-up match against France in Melbourne/Naarm.
This record figure is expected to be substantially surpassed when Australia kicks off their campaign against the Republic of Ireland at the 75,784-seater Stadium Australia in Sydney/Wangal.
“It will be an epic opening night with over 100,000 fans attending a women’s football match at the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup held in the southern hemisphere,” said Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer.
She continued: “It will set the tone for a FIFA Women’s World Cup that I expect to become a watershed moment in global women’s sports – not only from an attendance perspective, but way beyond that, when it comes to developing the game globally and celebrating female empowerment.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™ in Canada was attended by 1,353,506 spectators, but a few days out from the opening match the ticket sales for this year’s tournament have now surpassed that figure, with close to 1.4 million tickets now sold.
The spread of those tickets also affirms the increased global nature of women’s football, as fans residing in a staggering 182 different countries have purchased their tickets and are planning to head down under.
Aside from the two hosts, the top ten countries for ticket sales are the USA, England, Qatar, China PR, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Canada and Nigeria. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia are not close to many of the countries competing in the tournament, but it is wonderful to see that people have decided to travel from every corner of the globe to be part of this celebration of women’s football,” added Bareman.
Whatever seat you have purchased, Bareman reminds all fans to download the official FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ mobile ticketing app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store to access their tickets.
“It is important that fans get the app on their phone as the tickets cannot be printed or downloaded. You need to present the ticket on your mobile phone to enter the stadium, so make sure your phone is fully charged.
Like a player that prepares for a big match, we count on fans to get ready ahead of going to the stadium and familiarise themselves with the ticketing app, the transportation options, and the prohibited items list – besides supporting their team, this is another great way to contribute to the spectacle.”
Fans who may need assistance with the app or accessing their tickets are advised to look for the spectator services volunteers at the stadium. If a ticket holder has bought tickets for friends or family, those can be shared in advance, so they have it on their own mobile phones.
Many overseas visitors, as well as local fans, have also decided to enjoy the matches in style and have accessed the variety of hospitality options available, from a single corporate seat to a private suite.
In that case, tickets are sent to the spectators in PDF and must be printed at home.
While tickets for some matches may be currently unavailable, fans should monitor FIFA.com/tickets for last-minute offers, as well as head to FIFA.com/hospitality for an enhanced experience.
Nigeria’s Flamingos have once again confirmed their status as one of the most consistent teams in world youth football after securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a thrilling 5-3 victory over the Benin Republic in Lomé on Saturday.
The victory handed the Nigerian girls an 8-5 aggregate success over two legs and ensured their place at the global showpiece in Morocco later this year.
In doing so, the Flamingos maintained Nigeria’s remarkable record as one of only seven countries to have qualified for every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched in 2008.
The exclusive group also includes Canada, Germany, Ghana, Japan, DPR Korea and New Zealand.
Having carried a slender 3-2 advantage from last weekend’s first leg in Ikenne, Ogun State, Coach Akeem Busari’s side arrived in Lomé determined to leave nothing to chance, and they produced an attacking display that ultimately proved too much for their hosts.
Nigeria made a dream start when Mary Dustan opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Benin Republic responded almost immediately, drawing level three minutes later to briefly raise hopes of a comeback.
The Flamingos, however, quickly regained control of the contest.
Esther Stephen restored Nigeria’s lead in the 15th minute before Queen Joseph struck five minutes later to give the visitors a comfortable 3-1 advantage within the opening 20 minutes.
Although the Beninese girls fought back bravely and managed to stay in the contest, the Nigerian side showed composure and maturity whenever the pressure mounted.
Queen Joseph emerged as one of the stars of the encounter, scoring her second goal of the match in the 76th minute to help seal a 5-3 victory and extinguish any lingering hopes of a Benin revival.
The qualification continues Nigeria’s proud tradition in the competition, where the Flamingos have become one of the tournament’s most familiar faces.
Since the inaugural edition in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria has never failed to qualify, a feat matched by only six other nations worldwide. Their consistency has made them one of Africa’s most reliable representatives at the age-grade level and a respected force on the global stage.
The Flamingos’ best performance came at the 2022 tournament in India, where they claimed the bronze medal to become the first Nigerian team to finish on the podium at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
With qualification now secured, attention will turn to preparations for Morocco 2026, where the Nigerian youngsters will once again test themselves against the finest emerging talents from across the globe.
For Busari and his players, Saturday’s victory was about more than just defeating Benin Republic. It was another chapter in a remarkable record of consistency that has seen Nigeria remain ever-present at every edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The challenge now is to transform another qualification campaign into a title challenge when the world gathers in Morocco.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Spain thrashed England 4-0 to move a step closer to automatic qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup finals, with Germany booking their spot thanks to a comfortable 2-0 home win over Norway in the penultimate round of European qualifiers on Friday.
With the top teams from each of the four A groups qualifying automatically, Germany’s win gave them an unassailable four-point lead over Norway in Group A4 with one game left, while Spain and England are both locked on 12 points at the top of Group A3.
England’s hopes of securing a spot with a win in Mallorca were quickly snuffed out, with Patri Guijarro giving the Spaniards the lead in the 19th minute and Alexia Putellas making it 2-0 before the break.
There appeared to be nothing England could do to stop the Spanish juggernaut, with Putellas adding a second goal 10 minutes after the break and Claudio Pina putting the icing on the cake with a goal from a superb pass by Aitana Bonmati to make it 4-0.
England retain a chance of qualifying directly, but they will have to get a better result when they host Ukraine next Tuesday than Spain manage in their final fixture away to Iceland.
There was late drama in Group A2 as Ireland’s Amber Barrett netted a 90th-minute goal to snatch a 3-2 home win over the Netherlands to move above the Dutch and into second place in the group, one point behind leaders France, who beat Poland 2-0.
The Irish play France in their final game in Grenoble, with the Dutch taking on Poland at home.
Earlier, Pernille Harder came off the bench and scored the winner for Denmark as they downed neighbours Sweden 2-1 to end the Swedes’ hopes of qualifying directly.
The Danes top Group A1 on 11 points ahead of their final game against bottom side Serbia, while second-placed Italy, who are three points behind the leaders, next host Sweden.
-Reuters
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s Falconets have been handed a challenging but promising draw for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland after they were placed in Group F alongside former champions Spain, China PR and debutants New Caledonia.
The draw for the 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup was conducted in Lodz on Thursday, setting the stage for the tournament scheduled to run from 5 to 27 September across four Polish cities.
Nigeria, one of Africa’s most successful teams at the competition, will face a stern opening-round test against European powerhouse Spain, which won the title in Costa Rica in 2022. China PR also brings a considerable pedigree to the group, while New Caledonia will be making their maiden appearance at the global finals.
The Falconets will be hoping to improve on their performance at the last edition and rekindle memories of their best outings, when they reached the final in 2010 and 2014.
Hosts Poland headline Group A alongside Argentina, Benin and Mexico, while defending champions Korea DPR begin their title defence in Group E against Colombia, Costa Rica and Portugal.
Other intriguing group-stage fixtures include Brazil, England, Canada and Tanzania in Group B, while France, Korea Republic, Ghana and Ecuador make up Group C. Group D features former champions Japan and USA alongside New Zealand and Italy.
The full draw is as follows:
- Group A: Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Benin
- Group B: Brazil, England, Canada, Tanzania
- Group C: France, Korea Republic, Ghana, Ecuador
- Group D: Japan, USA, New Zealand, Italy
- Group E: Korea DPR, Colombia, Costa Rica, Portugal
- Group F: Spain, Nigeria, China PR, New Caledonia
The tournament will mark Poland’s first major global women’s football event, with matches to be played in Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Lodz and Sosnowiec.
Six nations — Benin, Ecuador, New Caledonia, Poland, Portugal and Tanzania — will make their debut appearances, while Korea DPR and the USA are both chasing a record fourth title.
Visit Sports Village Channel for more news:
https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso Launch Joint Bid to Host 2032 AFCON
Gratitude Beyond the Touchline: The People Behind My World Cup ‘La Décima’
Super Falcons Camp Nears Full Strength as Ijamilusi Arrives, Flight Hitch Delays Two Stars
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
- World Cup1 week ago
Potential World Cup expansion to be discussed after 2026 edition Says Infantino
- World Cup1 day ago
How a 64-team World Cup could transform soccer’s economics
- World Cup2 days ago
Reuters: 10 Key Takeaways from the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup1 week ago
Norway turn World Cup heartbreak into celebration as huge crowds pack capital
- World Cup4 days ago
The economic goal that never came: World Cup falls short of boosting Mexico
- World Cup1 week ago
England’s resilience faces ultimate test against Argentina in World Cup semi-final
- World Cup6 days ago
Argentina’s coach, Scaloni faces former tutor, Spain’s De la Fuente In World Cup final
- World Cup5 days ago
Spain’s Sanchez to attend World Cup final alongside Trump amid tensions