WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Potential tormentor of Super Falcons defence, Sinclair is a vocal advocate of women’s game
Nigeria’s Super Falcons face still challenge in a few hours’ time when they meet Canada in one of the Group B openers. Canada’s captain Christine Sinclair has always preferred doing her talking on the pitch, and as the most prolific goal-scorer in history, her game says plenty.
But in the battle for equity and the desire to leave a legacy with the days left of her illustrious career diminishing, the self-described “shy” Sinclair has become a fierce and vocal advocate for women’s soccer.
“(I hope) I helped leave the sport in a better place than I found it,” Sinclair said in Melbourne on Thursday on her legacy. “For so many years within the Canadian national team, our goal is to continue to move our sport forward.
“And along the way, hopefully inspire the next generation of young Canadians, girls, boys doesn’t matter.”
Mission accomplished for one of the most recognizable Canadian athletes, in any sport. The sheer number of No. 12 Sinclair jerseys – chosen because as a kid she was a fan of Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alamar – in the crowd of any Canadian women’s game is proof.
Sinclair will kick off a remarkable sixth World Cup when reigning Olympic champions Canada play Nigeria on Friday in Melbourne. A goal will make the Portland Thorns captain, the all-time leader in international goals with 190 in 323 appearances, the first player in history to score in six World Cups.
“It’s hard to put words to Christine,” said midfielder Sophie Schmidt, who plans to retire after the World Cup. “She’s such a pivotal human being and player for this team. She’s been the face of Canada Soccer for so many years.
“But it’s been incredible to see her development as a captain and leader as well. She was more that quiet, lead-by-example player on the field and she still is. She’s respected worldwide for that. She’s just a class soccer player.
“She’s also taken on the role of being that vocal leader and continuing to drive the sport specifically in Canada. She has such a powerful voice, and I think the beauty of it is she doesn’t use it often. But when she does, it’s extremely impactful.”
SUPPORTING PAY PARITY
Sinclair – known affectionately as “Sinc” or “Sincy” to team mates – said her team’s pay equity battle with Canada Soccer was all but resolved, and praised Janine Beckie, who is sidelined with a torn ACL, for handling negotiations so the players could focus on the tournament.
“It’s about to get done,” Sinclair said. “So honestly, we haven’t thought about it for one second these past couple of weeks, just focusing on playing.”
Canada’s talismanic leader was sympathetic to Nigeria’s own festering pay dispute.
“The world of women’s football is very small, and we all support each other,” Sinclair said. “I feel like each women’s team has to face their battles and obviously this past year we’ve been facing ours, and Nigeria now, with their federation, so we fully support them.
“Every single player in this tournament deserves the world and deserves equal treatment from their federations.”
The Women’s World Cup is getting $150 million in prize money from FIFA, a threefold increase over 2019 but well shy of the $440 million the men received last year in Qatar.
“The women’s game, it’s got a long way to go to catch up to the men’s game,” Sinclair said. “It’s new compared to the men’s game. That being said, although our prize money continues to increase, we’re nowhere near where it should be. It needs to be the exact same as a men’s tournament . . . as players we expect that.”
Sinclair also plays a huge and public role in fundraising efforts for Multiple Sclerosis, the disease her mom Sandra battled for nearly four decades before dying in 2022. MS also kept her mom from travelling to global tournaments such as the Olympics, from which Sinclair has two bronze medals and a gold.
Canada’s victory in Tokyo 2020, Sinclair said, bears no weight on the World Cup, where her team hope to climb the World Cup podium for the first time.
“I mean, it’s got a nice ring to it, not gonna lie,” she laughed. “But it doesn’t change a thing. Around the world, we’re still overlooked, which is fine by us. We were overlooked heading into Tokyo and we showed the world what we’re capable of. I think all it has done is helped us feel that confidence to know that we can beat any team in the world.”
The seventh-ranked Canadians play the Republic of Ireland on July 26 and Australia on July 31.
-Reuters
Africa’s ultimate destination for sports, Morocco, has again been awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Before now, the annual championship had been without a host before Morocco came to the rescue. It is perhaps the only country in Africa that meets the “Plug and Play” as at any time they meet the conditions to play.
According to CAF, the CAF Women’s Champions League will be played between 09-23 November 2024.
Morocco hosted the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League – the premium women’s club football competition in Africa.
Eight Clubs will contest the top prize. Winners will get USD 400 000 in prize money with runners-up walking away with USD 250 000.
Mamelodi Sundowns are the current holders – having won the competition twice in three years.
Morocco’s ASFAR is the other team that has won the Competition – back in 2022 when they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns.
Since it’s inception, the CAF Women’s Champions League played a key role in shaping women’s football in Africa.
Morocco’s hosting of the CAF Women’s Champions League follows the nation’s successful hosting of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 which also enjoyed unparallelled success.
Six Zonal tournaments took place to qualify six teams in addition to the host and the holder of 2023 title to the FT of CAF WCL 2024. The following teams are qualified:
CAF Women’s Champions League Qualified Clubs:
Holders: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Host: ASFAR (Morocco)
WAFU A: Aigles de la Medina (Senegal)
WAFU B: EDO Queens (Nigeria)
COSAFA: University of Western Cape (South Africa)
UNAF: Tutankhamun (Egypt)
CECAFA: CBE FC (Ethiopia)
UNIFFAC: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will gun for the maximum points when they take on their counterparts from New Zealand on Wednesday night in what is the first match of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.
Although the game between the host nation Dominican Republic and Ecuador (the other fixture in Group A) is billed as the opening match, Nigeria and New Zealand will do battle at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros from 4 pm local time (9 pm in Nigeria), while the host nation and Ecuador will square up as from 9 pm local time (2 am Thursday in Nigeria).
Bronze medallists in the last edition of the competition in India, the Flamingos are aiming to go farther this time, with Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisting that he has the ammunition to overcome opponents on their way.
“I have confidence in the girls to deliver the goods at this competition. We have come well-prepared to do even better than we did in India. The Nigeria Football Federation has done everything to prepare the team well, with a two-week final camping here in the Dominican Republic.
“We do not under-rate any of our opponents. However, we will take it one match at a time and produce our best in each game in order to go all the way.”
The Flamingos have previously missed taking part in only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals – the 2018 finals in Uruguay.
In the qualifying campaign for this year’s finals, the Nigerian girls notched 25 goals in six matches, with 13 of them scored by clinical forward Harmony Chidi.
After the encounter with New Zealand on Wednesday night, the Flamingos will confront their counterparts from Ecuador, also at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, before their final group phase game against the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo. The clash with Ecuador is on Saturday, 19th October while the battle with the host nation is on Tuesday, 22nd October.
Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has listed Captain Taiwo Afolabi and forwards Harmony Chidi and Peace Effiong in his 21-woman Flamingos’ roster for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.
The clinical Chidi scored 13 of the team’s record-setting 25 goals in the qualifying series, as the bronze medallists from the last edition of the championship in India barnstormed their way past Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Liberia in the continental campaign.
Petite midfielder Afolabi will lead the midfield, alongside Faridat Abdulwahab, Shakirat Moshood and Ayomide Rotimi, while first-choice goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma will have Sylvia Echefu and Elizabeth Boniface pushing her to her best all the time.
Taiwo Adegoke leads six other defenders, with Harmony Chidi leading six other forwards including Peace Effiong.
Nigeria will compete in Group A of the 16-nation finals alongside host nation Dominican Republic, Ecuador and New Zealand.
The delegation of Flamingos will depart the shores of Nigeria aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on Tuesday, 1st October for a two-week training tour in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, ahead of the commencement of the tournament.
FLAMINGOS FOR FIFA U17 WORLD CUP DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 2024
Goalkeepers: Christiana Uzoma (Edo Queens); Elizabeth Boniface (Sunshine Queens); Sylvia Echefu (Confluence Queens)
Defenders: Prisca Nwachukwu (Imo Strikers); Jumai Adebayo (Naija Ratels); Taiwo Adegoke (Remo Stars Ladies); Rokibat Azeez (New Generation Academy); Hannah Ibrahim (Remo Stars Ladies); Vivian Ekezie (Heartland Queens); Ololade Isiaka (Abia Angels)
Midfielders: Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens); Faridat Abdulwahab (Nasarawa Amazons); Shakirat Moshood (Bayelsa Queens); Muinat Rotimi (Nakamura Football Academy)
Forwards: Oghenemairo Obruthe (City Sports); Harmony Chidi (Imo Strikers); Kudirat Arogundade (Green Foot); Ramotalahi Kareem (Honey Badgers); Aishat Animashaun (Naija Ratels); Peace Effiong (Rivers Angels); Blessing Ifitezue (Delta Queens)
FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024
Group A: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, Nigeria
Group B: Spain, USA, Korea Republic, Colombia
Group C: Korea DPR, Mexico, Kenya, England
Group D: Japan, Poland, Brazil, Zambia
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