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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Women’s World Cup final eight is wide open, as sport sees a changing of the guard

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FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Round of 16 - England v Nigeria - Brisbane Football Stadium, Brisbane, Australia - August 7, 2023 England's Rachel Daly and Georgia Stanway celebrate during the penalty shootout REUTERS/Dan Peled

Few could have predicted the eight teams still standing when the Women’s World Cup kicked off three weeks – and more surprisingly, the teams who are gone.

In the most wide open World Cup in history, Colombia and France were the last two teams to clinch quarter-final berths Tuesday evening, joining Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Australia and England to close the curtain on a breathtaking first two rounds full of delicious twists and turns.

When the tournament was expanded to 32 teams, there was apprehension around whether lower-ranked sides could compete at this level. But the exact opposite happened. Concerns about blowouts were blown out of the water in a changing of the guard.

Japan are the only previous World Cup champions remaining, having climbed the winners’ podium in 2011.

Gone are four-times champions United States, who were gunning to become the first team to win three in a row, but were sent spinning out of the tournament before the semi-finals for the first time in history.

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Also gone: Two-time champions Germany, 1995 winners Norway, reigning Olympic champions Canada, and Brazil, who had not been ousted in the group stage since 1995.

“Nothing is easy in this tournament,” coach Sarina Wiegman said after England survived a last-16 scare from Nigeria before winning in a shootout.

“That’s very exciting because we see the women’s game has improved so much. You saw in the group stage, many games were equal, and it’s not that the expected teams have won all the time.”

In an end of an era, the elimination of the U.S., Canada and Brazil marked inauspicious World Cup finales for some of the game’s biggest trailblazers in Megan Rapinoe, Christine Sinclair and Marta.

Others such as Colombia’s dazzling teenager Linda Caicedo, Spain’s integral midfield cog Aitana Bonmati and France’s consistently excellent striker Kadidiatou Diani have stepped into the spotlight.

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Who will win now is anybody’s guess.

Japan’s “Nadeshiko” – named for a pink flower that symbolises Japanese beauty – are on a mission to erase the memory of their last-16 exit four years ago, and are tournament favourites after trouncing Norway 3-1 in the last-16.

They will test their credentials Friday against Sweden, who dumped the U.S. out of the tournament on a decisive penalty shot measured in millimetres.

Spain’s La Roja have already made history with their quarter-final appearance in three tries. They bounced back from an ugly 4-0 loss to Japan to dispatch Switzerland 5-1 in the last 16.

La Roja are in quarter-final action Friday against the Netherlands, who went undefeated in the group stage of their ninth World Cup appearance, including a 7-0 win over Vietnam in the tournament’s most lopsided score.

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Australia’s Matildas have enjoyed a terrific run to the quarters despite missing the team’s leading scorer Sam Kerr. She was a 78th-minute substitute in the host team’s 2-0 last-16 win over Denmark and will surely start Kerr in what should be a thrilling quarter-final against France on Saturday.

Les Bleues are keen to bury their heartbreaking last-eight elimination four years ago in France, and coach Herve Renard said the pressure as hosts could weigh heavily on Australia.

“We’re hoping to put Australia through exactly what France went through when they were the host country in 2019,” Renard said after Les Bleues’ 4-0 win over Morocco on Tuesday.

Fourth-ranked England, who are unbeaten in 36 of their last 37 games, would seem the favourite on Saturday against Columbia, the lowest-ranked team in the final eight at 25, but the Lionesses staggered into the quarters, fortunate to stave off a terrific Nigeria team through 120 minutes to win in a shootout.

The Lionesses have more big-game experience as reigning European champions, but Colombia have enjoyed better fan support than any team except Australia. England will also be without top scorer Lauren James, who received a red card for a stamp to the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie.

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-Reuters

 

 

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Morocco 2025: Nigeria qualify for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup

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Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.

They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.

Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.

Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.

The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.

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The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.

Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash

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The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.

Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.

The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.

The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.

According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.

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Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.

During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.

The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.

The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket

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The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.

Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.

They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.

Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.

Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.  

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The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.

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