WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire eliminated from WAFCON 2024 qualifying series

Published

12 months ago

September 27, 2023

Cameroon, four-time finalists of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, will not play in next year’s tournament in Morocco after being eliminated by Kenya on Tuesday.

Cote d’Ivorie will also not be among the nations to play the tournament after they were also eliminated in the first round of qualifiers following the second leg matches.

The Indomitable Lionesses lost on penalties to Kenya while Cote d’Ivoire suffered a similar fate in their match against Tanzania.

Kenya 1-0 Cameroon (agg 1-1) Kenya win 4-3 on penalties
Goal: Shilwatso 75th

The WAFCON dream is over for the Indomitable Lionesses. Winner 1-0 in the first leg, Cameroon fell twice against Kenya. First in regulation time with Shilwatso’s goal, aided by an error from the Cameroonian goalkeeper, and then losing 4-3 in the fateful penalty shootout. For the first time since 1991, the Indomitable Lionesses will not participate in the final phase of the WAFCON.

Ethiopia 1-1 Burundi (agg 2-2) Burundi wins 5-3 on penalties

Goals: R. Asresahegn 19th / S. Niyonkuru 48th

The adventure continues for Burundi. After conceding the opening goal, the Swallows went looking for qualification for the next round with guts. More realistic and experienced, Gustave Niyonkuru’s players were more focused during the penalty shootout to advance.

Tanzania 2-0 Cote d’Ivoire (agg 2-2) Tanzania wins 5-3 on penalties
Goals: D. Minja 50th, O. Clement 52nd

A real bogeyman in women’s football on the continent, Cote d’Ivoire once again missed the chance to qualify for the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. After winning the first leg 2-0, the Elephantes fell to Tanzania.

Mauritius 0-3 Guinea (agg 11-0)

Goals: A. Camara 6th, M. Camara 33rd,38th

After thrashing the Mauritians 8-0 in the first leg, the Guineans finished the job with a 3-0 win in Port Louis.

Botswana 6-0 Gabon (agg 10-1)

Goals: L. Radiakanyo 6th, O. Gaonyadiwe 10th 30th, N. Baeletsi 40th, K. Dithebe 45+4, L. Gaofetoge 50th

After a 4-1 win in Franceville, Botswana won again against Gabon. A victory that allows the Zebras to face Kenya in the second round of qualifying.

Niger 1-5 Tunisia (agg 12-1)

Goals: A. Hamed 90th / S. Ellouzi 9th 49th, S. Mamay 15th, M. Houij 45+1, S. Zemzem 77th

Quarter-finalists of the last WAFCON, Tunisia continue on the road to Morocco 2024. The Carthage Eagles Ladies easily beat Niger.

Ghana 5-0 Rwanda (agg 12-0)

Goals: A. Kusi 22nd 26th 37th, E. Badu 42nd, S. Nyamekye 90+3

Another thrashing by the Black Queens. The Ghanaians left no chance for the Rwandans, after beating them 7-0 at home in the first leg.

Liberia 2-3 Cape Verde (agg 6-2)

Goals: P. Agbotsu 12th, H. Kpan 69th / E. Pereira 10th, A. Gomes 23rd, Kleydiana Borges 39th

The islanders narrowly avoided elimination but will be in the draw. In a fierce and intense match, Cape Verde beat Liberia 2-3. Trailing by 3 goals, the Liberians looked for an early breakthrough but left gaps for their opponents. Facing a faulty defence, Evy Pereira found the net. Agbotsu made up for this setback and leveled the match.Cape Verde improved their attacking moves with Gomes and Borges sending the West Africans into orbit. Kpan’s late goal did not change the fate of this game.

Benin 1-2 DR Congo (agg 4-2)
Goals: Y. Gnanmi 5th / M. Kanjinga 32nd 34th

The Democratic Republic of Congo advanced thanks to Merveille Kanjinga. With a saving brace, the Congolese player booked her team’s ticket to the second round.

Togo 6-0 Djibouti (agg 12-0)

Goals: S. Woedikou 4th 15th 40th, S. Koudjoukalo 31st 89th, Lucie Gantim 66th

In two games, Togo scored 13 goals against Djibouti without conceding. A well-deserved qualification for the Hawks ladies.

In other matches, Congo beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 at the same time, Namibia defeated Gambia by the same score. These two winning teams will progress to the second round.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso also qualified for the next stage of the competition by beating Eswatini 3-0, as did Egypt who beat South Sudan 4-0. Draw between Algeria and Uganda 1-1.

The second round matches

Mali-Guinea
Senegal-Egypt
Kenya-Botswana
Nigeria-Cape Verde
Angola-Zambia
Ghana-Namibia
Burkina Faso-South Africa
Congo-Tunisia
Tanzania-Togo
Equatorial Guinea-DR Congo
Algeria-Burundi

-cafonline

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Falconets crash out from U-20 Women’s World Cup

Published

6 days ago

September 13, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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

Published

1 week ago

September 10, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The team on return to Bogota on Wednesday.

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, 13^th September.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

What a goal-laden day for Nigeria; Falconets also win with wide margin!

Published

2 weeks ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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 28^th 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.