Latest news with #ConfederationofAfricanFootball
Morocco World
a day ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Morocco File Formal Referee Complaint After WAFCON Final Loss to Nigeria
Morocco's football federation has lodged a formal complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over what it described as 'refereeing injustices' during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final against Nigeria. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said the match official failed to award a clear penalty in the 82nd minute, with the score level at 2-2. Video footage showed a potential handball by a Nigerian defender, but after a VAR check, the referee waved play on. Morocco's coaching staff and players expressed frustration immediately after the incident. The federation claims the decision altered the course of the match, which Nigeria went on to win 3-2. Speaking after the match, Moroccan head coach Jorge Vilda said: 'It was a small detail that cost us the game,' referring to the penalty decision. Vilda, usually reserved on refereeing matters, added that fatigue played a key role in his side's second-half collapse. Nigeria's coach, Justine Madugu, credited Morocco for a dominant first half and said tactical adjustments at half-time proved decisive. 'The players who came off the bench made the difference,' he said. 'Morocco have a promising future.' The final, held at Rabat's Olympic Stadium, was a tightly contested match. Morocco led 2-1 at the break, but Nigeria rallied in the second half to claim their record-extending 10th title. The tournament marked Morocco's second-ever appearance in a WAFCON final. Ghana secured third place after beating South Africa on penalties in Casablanca. After the heartbreaking loss, King Mohammed VI congratulated the Moroccan team in a statement, praising their spirit and performance. He also commended the organisation of the tournament and the strong attendance across venues. Tags: MoroccoWAFCONWOmen's Africa Cup of Nations
Ya Biladi
4 days ago
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Women's AFCON 2024 : The Atlas Lionesses aim for their first title
Morocco's national women's team will face Nigeria this Saturday at Rabat's Olympic Stadium in the final of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, marking their second consecutive appearance in the tournament's title match. The Atlas Lionesses will be looking to clinch their first-ever continental crown. But the challenge will be formidable. Nigeria, the most successful team in the competition's history with nine titles, is hungry for a tenth and eager to avenge their semi-final defeat to Morocco in the previous edition. After reaching the final of the last WAFCON, Morocco is determined to go one step further this time and bring home the trophy, much to the delight of fans across the kingdom who are hoping to celebrate a historic win on home soil. The Lionesses will draw on their growing experience, which has earned them a place among Africa's elite, highlighted by their participation in the last World Cup and back-to-back WAFCON finals. Still, the players are fully aware of the scale of the challenge ahead. Nigeria remains a powerhouse, with a legacy to defend and unfinished business with Morocco. The Moroccan team topped Group A after a 2-2 draw with Zambia and wins over DR Congo (4-2) and Senegal (1-0). They advanced to the final with a 3-1 victory over Mali in the quarter-finals and a hard-fought win against Ghana in the semi-finals (1-1 after extra time, 4-2 on penalties). Ahead of the final, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday that Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa will officiate the match, assisted by Alice Umutesi (Rwanda) and Tabara Mbodji (Senegal). The final kicks off Saturday at 9:00 PM (GMT+1) at Rabat's Olympic Stadium. The third-place playoff between South Africa and Ghana is scheduled for Friday at 8:00 PM at Casablanca's Larbi Zaouli Stadium.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Countdown to CHAN 2024: can South Africa surprise everyone?
Image: Supplied Also known as CHAN 2024, we are just days away from the beginning of one of Africa's most interesting international football competitions. The biennial tournament should have occurred in February 2025, but CAF postponed it for August 2-30, 2025. Even though the tournament will be held in 2025, it is often referred to as the 2024 African Nations Championship. This is because it was originally scheduled for 2024, but due to logistical and unstructured issues, the organizers postponed it to 2025. The event has much to offer, and football fans worldwide can expect many intriguing clashes, especially around South Africa. The team's in an interesting position and can surprise everyone, but before we see what happens, let's learn more about the upcoming event. What is the African Nations Championship and what happened in the last event The African Nations Championship is a biennial tournament organised by CAF (Confederation of African Football). It's an international tournament in Africa, but unlike the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), for example, this one has an interesting twist - it only features players playing in their country's respective leagues. In other words, the tournament does not feature footballers playing abroad. Although some may find this condition disappointing, it is what sets CHAN apart from any other football tournament. Since teams can't use all of their players, fans can see many new names in action. The first-ever CHAN was in 2009, and it only included 8 teams. Following the initial success, CAF increased the teams to 16, and for the current event, we will have a total of 19 teams. Football fans who followed the last African Nations Championship remember that it occurred between January and February 2023. It included 17 teams, and after a fierce battle, Senegal clinched their first CHAN title. The team defeated Algeria (the host at the time) on penalties. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ CHAN 2024 - What to expect Moving on to the current 2024 African Nations Championship, the event will be held in three countries: Kenya Tanzania Uganda We will have 19 teams in total that will play in the Group Stage, Knockout Rounds, and the Final, which will be in Kampala on August 30, 2025. Speaking of Kampala, Uganda, will host the Grand Final at the Mandela National Stadium, but this is not the biggest stadium. That honor goes to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Complex, which can seat up to 65,000 people. In terms of participating teams, we will have the following: Morocco Guinea Senegal Mauritania Niger Burkina Faso Nigeria DR Congo Central African Republic Congo Kenya Tanzania Uganda Sudan Zambia Angola Madagascar Algeria South Africa Group stage and South Africa's chances Following CAF's announcement on June 27, 2025, we know the names of all the teams in the four Groups at CHAN 2024. Here's a brief overview of each group (interestingly, the last one has 4 teams, whereas the rest have 5). Remember that only the top two will advance to the quarterfinals. Group A Kenya Morocco Angola DR Congo Zambia Group B Tanzania Madagascar Mauritania Burkina Faso Central African Republic Group C Uganda Niger Algeria Guinea South Africa Group D Senegal Congo Sudan Nigeria As you can see, every group has something to offer. Users wishing to know more about the South African squad's winning chances, their top performers, all the highlights about the other teams, their perspectives, and much more can check the Efirbet SA soccer news article, which provides in-depth coverage of the topic.
Morocco World
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Ghana Coach Anticipates Tough WAFCON Semi-Final Against Morocco
Rabat – Ghana head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren is expecting a tough semi-final WAFCON match against Morocco. Morocco secured a win in the semifinals last Friday after a 3-1 win against Mali, while Ghana defeated Algeria on penalties on Saturday to clinch a ticket for the semi-finals. He said the players 'need physical and mental recovery,' noting that his play has only a few days for recovery before the game against Morocco. 'I wish we had one or two more days, but this is football. We need mental recovery, and as for the players, they may need even more physical recovery,' he said. This indicator could be an opportunity for the Atlas Lionesses, who finished their game on Friday and enjoyed a couple of days of rest and training after their win against Mali. Morocco will play its match against Ghana at Rabat's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Moroccan time. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) described the game between Ghana and Morocco as a high-stakes semifinal. 'Three years ago, Morocco reached the final on home soil, reigniting national pride in women's football,' CAF said. The confederation emphasized that now, in 2026, the Atlas Lionesses have matured and are stronger and more composed. 'With a packed Olympic Stadium behind them, Jorge Vilda's side has shown newfound maturity,' CAF wrote. Tags: Algeria WAFCONmorocco wafcon
Ya Biladi
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Six Moroccan referees appointed for CHAN 2024 in East Africa
Six Moroccan referees, including two central referees, one assistant referee, and three video assistant referees (VAR), have been selected to officiate at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to take place from August 2 to 30 across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Bouchra Karboubi and Mustapha Kech Chaf will be among the 26 central referees officiating at the tournament. The full list, released Thursday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), also includes 26 assistant referees and 18 VAR officials. Hamza Nassiri has been appointed as an assistant referee, while Samir Guezzaz, Hamza El Fariq, and Fatiha Jermoumi will form part of the VAR team. According to CAF, all appointed officials will take part in a preparatory training camp ahead of the competition. The program will feature both theoretical and practical sessions, in line with CAF's refereeing standards and its use of technological tools such as VAR.
