After an exhausting round of groups in the group phase which started with the opening group at Match Piding welcomes Morocco against Zambia on Saturday July 5 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, the Nations Cup in Africa of Nations (Wafcon) of the total CAF (Wafcon) will take a five -day break with matches in the quarterfinals aligned from Friday July 18 in Morocco.
Eight teams have qualified for stadiums with direct tournament, led by reigning champions in South Africa, welcomes Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana and Mali.
In group A, Morocco dominated the battery with seven points to qualify alongside Zambia, while in group B, it was champion of Nigeria records, which took first place with seven points followed by Algeria, which won five.
Meanwhile, Banyana, who defends the title they won during the 2022 edition, finished at the top of group C with seven points to qualify alongside the Black Queens of Ghana, who succeeded.
Wafcon districts taking place for Friday
After the group phase, the tournament will now go to the direct elimination phase, from Friday – with a coveted place in the semi -final at stake. The first match of the districts will set up Nigeria against Zambia at the Stade Larbi Zaouli, Casablanca.
The match should bring the best players in women’s football, with Nigeria who will defile for Asisat Oshoala, while the Dynamic duo of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji will lead the copper queens.
Before the match, the players in Zambia led by Captain Banda promised to defeat the Nigeria by insisting that they are not afraid. In the end of the quarter -final against the Super Falcons, Banda remained calm and concentrated.
“We now know that we are confronted with Nigeria, and for us, it is simply a question of being mentally, physically and tactically. We respect them, but we don’t fear anyone. We know what we are capable of as a team “,” Banda, who plays for the National Club of the Women’s Football League Orlando Pride, told Faz Media.
“It is not a new feeling. We have already faced them and we went out with a positive result. It gives us belief, but we also know that it is a new game and a new challenge. We must present ourselves with the same discipline, the energy and the concentration that we had against Dr Congo and even more. ”
The winger to Copper Queens Racheal Nachula said: “My teammates and I are very happy because we managed to arrive second in our group phase and of which our group, I think it was very difficult. Three teams from our group qualified in the quarterfinals and it shows that our group was very hard and strong.
“As copper queens, we know that Nigeria is one of the best teams in Africa and I think that copper queens, we are also one of the best teams in Africa. We can conquer each team and we are not afraid of any team, as we cannot be afraid of Nigeria. ”
For Kudananji, who has already won two prizes for the match woman, the team is prepared for the opponent who comes to the firm state of mind locked up on the final price of the tournament.
“We wanted first place, but unfortunately, we did not score more goals. That said, we are not careful about the position in which we are now, our eyes are always on the same thing,” She said.
Zambia began with a 2-2 draw against Morocco, recovered to beat Senegal 3-2 before being ahead of Dr. Congo. For Nigeria, they beat Tunisia 3-0 at the opening, beat Botswana 1-0 before drawing 0-0 against Algeria.
The other match, scheduled for Friday, will see Morocco Face Mali at Olympic Stadium in Rabat. Led by their emblematic captain Ghizlane Chebbak, the Lioness Atlas will aim to start on the ground at home.
South Africa to face Senegal
The African champions of South Africa will face Senegal in the last eight seeking to keep their hope of keeping the title of Wafcon alive. However, they will come up against Senegal, which has advanced as one of the best third teams.
Banyana coach, Dr. Desiree Ellis, admitted that they would not find the easiest against the Senegalese team in the game planned for the Honor Stadium in Oujda, Morocco, Tuesday, July 19.
“We have a few days to take a look, but they showed in a very difficult group that they can fight with the best and we must be at our best to get a result, because again, it will not be easy”, “,” Ellis told Safa Media after their last 4-0 victory against Mali.
“I don’t think that a game was easy for this Wafcon, it shows that the continent teams are improving – each international FIFA window there are countries that play.”
Ellis added: “This Wafcon is not only a unilateral tournament where you can predict a result. The games are so tight and it’s a moment of magic or a moment of madness or even someone’s mistake and that’s it.
“This shows how tight the matches, so we have to be at the top of our match against Senegal. They showed against Zambia and Morocco where they had very tight matches, but tonight was a statement and showed what we can do, and we have to do even better.”
In the match of the last quarters which takes place on Tuesday July 19 at Berkane Stadium in Berkane, Algeria, which has become one of the surprise packages of the tournament will face Ghana, one of the heavyweights of African women’s football.
The Black Queens found it difficult to reach this scene, managing a three -game game victory, but according to coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, they will continue to take a match both from the tournament.
“I always thought that we would win this match and that we arrived in the quarter -finals. I understand the impact of the result. These are the stages with direct elimination, and we continue to take a game at a time,” said Bjorkegren after the 4-1 victory against Tanzania, which allowed them to qualify for the last eight.
Historically, Nigeria has been the most successful nation of the tournament since it became a large scale in 1998, winning nine of the 12 editions so far and at least going to the semi-final of each tournament they have played.
Equatorial Guinea won the hosts in 2008 and 2012 editions and South Africa is the current champions who won the last 2022 edition to become the third African nation to have won the tournament. Morocco, Ghana and Cameroon are the only nations outside the previous winners to also have reached the final of the tournament.
(Tagstotranslate) Football