WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
A stroll in the park for Super Falcons as road to WAFCON kicks-off today
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have strolled into the next round of the qualifying series for Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024 which officially kick-off today.
Nigeria’s opponents, Sao Tome & Principe have pulled out as the qualifiers get underway. They now await the aggregate winners of Cape Verde and Liberia.
For the 2024 edition, 40 Nations will enter the qualifying stages. In the first qualifying round, teams will play two matches against each other. The winner of the two matches will qualify for the second round, scheduled for November 2023.
In this stage of the qualification phase, two countries will be exempted. They are South Africa and Zambia, respectively reigning African champions and bronze medallists.
Qualifiers Schedule
First Round: 20 – 26 September 2023
Second Round: 27 November – 05 December 2023
First-Round Fixtures
- 09.2023: Senegal – Mozambique | 17h00 GMT – Thies/Stade lat-Dior
- 09.2023: Egypt – South Sudan | 16h00 GMT – Petro Sports Stadium, Cairo
- 09.2023: Central African Republic – Mali | 13h00 GMT – Stade de la Reunification de Douala
- 09.2023: Guinea – Mauritius | 15h00 GMT – Stade General Lansana Conte, Nongo
- 09.2023: Nigeria – São Tomé and Príncipe (Match cancelled due to withdrawal of Soe Tome. Nigeria qualifies for next round)
- 09.2023: Cape Verde – Liberia | 17h00 GMT – Estadio Nacional “Blue Shark” Cabo Verde
- 09.2023: Uganda – Algeria | 15h00 GMT – FUFA Technical Centre, Jinja
- 09.2023: Burundi – Ethiopia | 14h00 GMT – Abebe Bekila Stadium, Addis Ababa
- 09.2023: Equatorial Guinea – Libya (Match cancelled due to withdrawal of Libya. Equatorial Guinea qualifies for the next round)
- 09.2023: DR Congo – Benin | 14h30 GMT – Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa
- 09.2023: Cote d’Ivoire – Tanzania | 15h30 GMT – Stade de Yamoussoukro, Yamoussoukro
- 09.2023: Djibouti – Togo | 14h30 GMT – Stade de Kegue de Lome, Lome
- 09.2023: Rwanda – Ghana | 13h00 GMT – Kigali Pele Stadium, Kigali
- 09.2023: Gambia – Namibia | 15h00 GMT Stade El Abdi, El Jadida
- 09.2023: Cameroon – Kenya | 18h00 GMT Stade de la Reunification de Douala, Douala
- 09.2023: Gabon – Botswana | 14h30 GMT – Stade de la Renovation de Franceville
- 09.2023: Tunisia – Niger | 15h00 GMT – Stade de Solimane, Solimane
- 09.2023: Guinea Bissau – Congo | 15h30 – Estadio 24 de Setembro, Bissau
- 09.2023: Angola – Sudan (Match cancelled due to withdrawal of Sudan. Angola qualifies for the next round)
- 09.2023 Eswatini – Burkina Faso | 14h00 GMT – Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba
Women’s AFCON Prize money:
Position | Prize Money |
Winner | USD 500 000 |
Runner up | USD 300 000 |
Semi-finalists (2) | USD 225 000 x 2 |
Quarterfinalists (4) | USD 175 000 x 4 |
3rd of the group | USD 150 000 x 1 |
4th of the group (3) | USD 100 000 x 3 |
TOTAL | USD 2 400 000 |
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Falconets crash out from U-20 Women’s World Cup
Japan survived a late scare against Nigeria to set up a re-match of the 2022 final with Spain in Sunday’s quarter-finals.
In rainy Bogota, Miyu Matsunaga’s free header just after the half hour was enough to send Japan to the break with a lead, as they have done at every match at Colombia 2024.
Maya Hijikata then doubled the advantage midway through the second term, tucking home a cross from substitute Chinari Sasai at the back post; that goal taking her joint-top of the adidas Golden Boot race with Brazil’s Vendito.
Olushola Shobowale did manage to pull one back for Nigeria in stoppage time but they couldn’t find a second as Japan hung on to close out the 2-1 win and set up that epic quarter-final clash with Spain. It is a re-match of the final match of the last edition in Costa Rica two years ago.
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Colombia 2025: Falconets back in Bogota to trade tackles with Japan
Africa’s biggest hope for podium appearance at the ongoing FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals, Nigeria, have returned to the Colombia capital, Bogota, ahead of Friday morning’s Round of 16 clash with Japan.
Japan, one of the strongest forces in women’s football globally, topped Group E that also included Austria, New Zealand and one of Africa’s flag-bearers Ghana. Ghana crashed out of the tournament after losing to Japan and Austria, and a narrow win over New Zealand.
The Falconets reached the Round of 16 after pipping Korea Republic 1-0 and losing 1-3 to Germany, and then earning a fabulous 4-0 win over Venezuela in Cali.
“The girls have worked very hard to get to this stage, and we are proud of their efforts. We will be taking the knockout stages one match at a time. I must tell you that we are excited at the prospects of facing Japan and what that brings forth,” Coach Chris Musa Danjuma said on his team’s return to the capital on Wednesday night.
The clash between Nigeria and Japan will hold at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota – where the Falconets played their first two matches of the group phase against Korea Republic and Germany – starting from 2am Nigeria time (8pm, Thursday in Colombia) on Friday, 13th September.
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
What a goal-laden day for Nigeria; Falconets also win with wide margin!
Nigeria Super Falconets gave Nigerians additional joy after their 4-0 defeat of Venezuela in Cali, Colombia in their last group match. Their victory followed up with an earlier 3-0 win by the Super Eagles in their opening Group D match with Benin Republic in Uyo.
The Falconets’ win means they have qualified for the Round of 16 where they are most likely going to face Japan when the group games are completed on Sunday.
Both Nigeria and Germany tied on six points, but Germany have one goal better than Nigeria on goal difference.
The Super Falcons made early hays when Amina Bello put Nigeria ahead after 16 minutes. Chiamaka Okwuchukwu doubled the lead in the 28th minute before Flourish Sebastine put in the third five minutes into the added time of the first half. Joy Igbokwe put in the back breaker four minutes into the added time of the second hald.
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