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CAF
2 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
CAF names WAFCON 2024 Best XI
Published: Tuesday, 29 July 2025 Nigeria's dominance at the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 has been further underlined after four of their players were named in the tournament's official Best XI, as selected by CAF's Technical Study Group (TSG). The 11-player team, arranged in a 4-3-3 formation, features standout performers from across the continent following a fiercely competitive edition of the tournament co-hosted by Morocco and Ghana. Nigeria, who defeated hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final on Saturday night to clinch their tenth WAFCON crown, contributed the highest number of players to the elite line-up. Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Ndozie earned her place between the sticks following a series of commanding displays, while dynamic full-back Michelle Alozie, influential forward Esther Okoronkwo, and tournament top scorer Rasheedat Ajibade also made the cut. Joining them is Moroccan captain Ghizlane Chebbak, whose creative influence helped guide the hosts to a second consecutive final. Fellow Moroccan and top striker Ibtissam Jraidi also featured prominently in the line-up. Ghana's Portia Boakye and Grace Asantewaa were rewarded for their leadership and consistency despite the Black Queens falling just short of the final, while South Africa's Karabo Dlamini, Refiloe Jane and Bambanani Mbane were also included after leading Banyana Banyana to a semi-final finish. The CAF Technical Study Group named Nigeria's Justin Madugu as the tournament's Coach of the Tournament following his team's successful title run. A strong list of substitutes was also released, including Zambia's Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, Senegal's Nguenar Ndiaye, Algeria's Chloe Yamina N'Gazi, and Nigeria's Osinachi Ohale and Jennifer Echegini. The 2024 tournament saw a rise in attacking play, with 66 goals scored across 26 matches—an average of 2.54 goals per game, an improvement from the 2.25 average in 2022. The 4-3-3 formation emerged as the most used tactical shape throughout the tournament. CAF's WAFCON 2024 Best XI (4-3-3 formation): Goalkeeper : Chiamaka Ndozie (Nigeria) Defenders : Michelle Alozie (Nigeria), Bambanani Mbane (South Africa), Portia Boakye (Ghana), Karabo Dlamini (South Africa) Midfielders : Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco), Refiloe Jane (South Africa), Grace Asantewaa (Ghana) Forwards: Esther Okoronkwo (Nigeria), Ibtissam Jraidi (Morocco), Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria) Coach of the Tournament: Justin Madugu (Nigeria) Substitutes: Chloe Yamina N'Gazi (Algeria) Osinachi Ohale (Nigeria) Hanane Ait El Haj (Morocco) Jennifer Echegini (Nigeria) Saana Mssoudy (Morocco) Barbra Banda (Zambia) Racheal Kundananji (Zambia) Nguenar Ndiaye (Senegal) Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (Ghana)
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
A first for Morocco or 10th for Nigeria - who will win Wafcon final?
Nigeria bid for a record-extending 10th continental title when they face hosts Morocco in the final of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) on sides are unbeaten and the West Africans have only conceded one goal in five matches on their journey to the 21,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in in that same stadium in 2022, Morocco are looking for the Atlas Lionesses lift the trophy for the first time it would offer some return on the vast investment the kingdom has poured into the women's game in recent a favourite is not easy, with neither side making a compelling case in the North Africans, who have Spain's Women's World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda in the dugout, needed penalty kicks to get past Ghana, while Nigeria, the continent's top-ranked side, scored a stoppage-time winner to knock out defending champions South however, is high in the Super Falcons camp, with their campaign branded as 'Mission X'."Mission X - that's what this entire tournament was about," defender Michelle Alozie told BBC Sport Africa."It's going all the way to the final and winning it. We're growing as a team and I think that shows every game."The winners will pick up $1m (£743,000) in prize money as well as the new-look Wafcon to the BBC World Service in Africa can hear live radio commentary (kick-off 20:00 GMT), while the match will be streamed for viewers in the UK on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Atlas Lionesses one win from history Morocco returned to Wafcon for the first time since 2000 when the country hosted the 2022 edition, but the hosts, who will also stage the 2026 finals in March, have now firmly established themselves as one of the continent's elite their performances this month have not been as convincing as three years ago, given they fell behind twice against Zambia in the opening game and then trailed Ghana at half-time in the last Khadija Er-Rmichi has looked shaky on several occasions, 34-year-old star player and captain Ghizlane Chebbak has faded in the knockout stage and winger Sanaa Mssoudy has not displayed the level of trickery and impact which saw her named as the best player at last year's Women's African Champions League and in the 2024-25 Moroccan league Chebbak, the joint-top scorer in the tournament with four goals, is still capable of producing in crucial moments and striker Ibtissam Jraidi provides a cutting edge up front."I've seen a Moroccan team that doesn't really give up even when they are trailing," Desire Oparanozie, a four-time Wafcon winner with Nigeria, told BBC Sport Africa."They've been very impressive. They keep coming at you and that's really a positive thing."Vilda's appointment was controversial, given he left the Spain job amid the fallout from an incident at the 2023 Women's World Cup final when then-federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso without her was found guilty of sexual assault and fined, while Vilda was cleared of allegations of his presence in the Morocco dugout has divided supporters - even if he could create history by helping a North African side win Wafcon for the first time while also achieving a unique personal double."Morocco are going to need a coach to make them more than the sum of their parts to win this final," Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi told the BBC World Service."I've even seen arguments to say that Morocco hiring Vilda, if he gets them to win the Wafcon, would be worth it because it's going to do so much more for the women's game - even if that is a little bit tainted with him being the coach." Can Super Falcons complete Mission X? Meanwhile, Nigeria, who have long been the dominant force in African women's football, have not been shy in expressing their intentions of reclaiming the title they last won in country's football federation announced Mission X before the finals and it has been a hot topic during media engagements with Justin Madugu has found a balance to his side which has displayed physicality at the back, dominance in midfield and a potent front three spearheaded by Esther Okoronkwo's intelligent build-up Super Falcons' threat from across the pitch is underlined by having nine different goalscorers, and the side ground out a victory against South Africa when right-back Alozie was the unlikely match-winner."We're born with the zeal to fight and want to win every game," forward Okoronkwo told BBC Sport Chiamaka Nnadozie, who has signed for Women's Super League side Brighton, has rarely been tested and the only time she has been beaten thus far was from the penalty thinks the Super Falcons will be out for "revenge" after their semi-final exit at the hands of the Moroccans in 2022 - a game which saw them have two players sent off by the 72nd minute and eventually beaten on penalties. Managing a partisan stadium A capacity crowd is expected in the Moroccan capital yet Oparanozie does not anticipate that overwhelming support for the hosts will affect her compatriots."Nigeria is known for big moments like this," the 31-year-old said."In 2016 we played against the host nation Cameroon [in the final]. The stadium was filled to 40,000 capacity and that didn't stop Nigeria from winning."The 2024 tournament, delayed for a year because of scheduling issues, has seen the continent's lowest ranked sides cause issues for those above them, but the final is still the one many Morocco can bridge a gap of 24 places in the world rankings - and hand Nigeria their first ever final defeat - it will put a new name on the Wafcon for the hosts could potentially tilt the balance of power in Africa, as well as putting pressure on Morocco's men ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in the kingdom in December.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Nigeria's quest for a 10th WAFCON title is more than a mission. It's a search for their winning identity
After 96 minutes in the unforgiving Moroccan sun, two penalties and one horrible injury to Gabriela Salgado, Nigeria found a way to keep their 'Mission X' — to win a 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) — alive. Defender Michelle Alozie's surprising stoppage time cross-turned-goal proved to be the difference as Nigeria beat South Africa 2-1 in the semifinals on Tuesday. With the win, Nigeria secured their place at a WAFCON final for the first time in seven years. Advertisement It wasn't until Alozie exited the pitch that she even realized the goal had been hers. From a distance, it could have easily belonged to the box-crashing efforts of substitutes Deborah Abiodun or Chinwendu Ihezuo, who obstructed South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini just enough to allow the ball to squeak past the end line without fouling her. 'When I went into the locker room, I was like, 'Wait, what? This is my face on the post!'' Alozie told The Athletic after the game. A post shared by CAF Women's Football (@cafwomenfootball) Nigeria's journey in this tournament has been neither linear nor expected; their moments of excellence have been acknowledged only with an unapologetic raising of the bar. The nine-time continental champions' group stage performances included a 3-0 victory over Tunisia and a scoreless draw with Algeria so tepid that it prompted an apology from their head coach. 'We want to apologize to our dear countrymen and women for not winning the game because I know the expectation is that we must always win,' interim head coach Justin Madugu told the Super Falcon Show in the mixed zone after the match. 'We will make sure that we work harder to make them happier in the subsequent games that we have to play.' A highly anticipated but ultimately anticlimactic quarterfinal meeting with Zambia followed. Despite Zambia's dynamic duo of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, Nigeria put on a showcase, silencing the Copper Queens with a 5-0 victory with five different goalscorers. After their tense win over South Africa, the Nigeria are now one match away from their 10th WAFCON title and re-establishing their dominance on the continent. With a population estimated just shy of 230 million people, and a diaspora of about 17 million, there are Nigerian eyes, ears and mouths everywhere. And right now, there is one mantra, one cry that can be heard from Lagos to Casablanca: Mission X. However, it is not simply about the perfect, round satisfaction of the number 10. It is about reasserting their place atop women's soccer in Africa. But the arc has been more of a roller coaster, and Saturday's clash with hosts Morocco will determine whether Nigeria are, in fact, turning up or backsliding. Advertisement After leaving defeated from the 2022 WAFCON, where Nigeria were knocked out of the semifinals by Morocco, this team has been on a journey of redemption. It began at the 2023 World Cup, where Nigeria held then-reigning Olympic gold medalists Canada to a scoreless draw (which included Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saving a penalty taken by the legendary Christine Sinclair), beat hosts Australia and pushed European champions England to penalties. That knockout-round appearance — along with those of their continental colleagues South Africa and Morocco — drew more attention to the continued rise of women's football in Africa. But the roller coaster dipped again a year later at the Summer Olympics in France when Nigeria failed to advance out of their group with losses to Spain, Brazil, and Japan. Critics called for a refresh that championed youth talent. They questioned the selections of veteran players who hadn't proven their worth for their clubs, and they were unable to understand how a team with Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Jennifer Echegini, Uchenna Kanu, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Ifeoma Onumonu on its roster wasn't spraying goals all over the place as they'd seen this team do for decades prior. Nigeria has long been a vanguard of women's football in Africa. The local scene was already thriving in 1989, with more than a dozen clubs playing in Lagos when the Nigeria Football Federation officially recognized women's clubs. And a year later, they were invited to participate in the qualifiers for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. The newly formed national team went on to become the only African team at the 1991 tournament in China. 'By the time other African countries embraced the game, Nigeria had gotten ahead,' former Super Falcons player and coach Florence Omagbemi tells The Athletic. 'We set up a strong foundation and legacy for the team, which is winning.' Advertisement During the inaugural WAFCON in 1998, on home soil, the Nigerian faithful were treated to a masterclass. Their country scored 30 goals without reply across five games as they romped to the title. By that time, no other African nation had played in an official tournament. Nigeria had two World Cups under their belt and were headed to a pivotal third. The world remembers the 1999 Women's World Cup as women's soccer's debut on the global stage, with Brandi Chastain's sports-bra-bearing celebration becoming one of the most iconic photos in tournament history. In Nigeria, the memories are similarly sweet for different reasons. 'I think the biggest shock was the 1999 World Cup when we came to the U.S.,' remembers Omagbemi, who won four WAFCONs as a player and one as a coach. Nigeria was drawn into a group with North Korea, Denmark and the United States. After handling North Korea in the first match 2-1, Nkiru Okosieme scored 73 seconds into the game against the U.S. at Soldier Field in Chicago. The goal was fraught in the moment as the USWNT went on to win 7-1. However, it was a wake-up call for Nigeria, who went on to beat Denmark to qualify for the quarterfinals. 'That was the one that opened the door for most of the team because that was the first African team to get to the quarterfinal stage,' says Omagbemi, who, along with many of her teammates, signed with clubs in the U.S. and around the world off the back of the tournament. Nigeria lost 4-3 to Brazil on a golden goal in extra time of the knockout match, but making that first quarterfinal was enough to accelerate their momentum with a ripple effect across the continent. When it came to club football, Nigeria had gone global, but it took some time for their cosmopolitanism to show up on the national team. Players born in Nigeria were getting recruited to play abroad, but the post-independence spread of the diaspora meant thousands, then hundreds of thousands, and now millions more living outside the country, creating arguably one of the widest wells of footballing talent in the world. Advertisement In October 2020, the Nigerian Football Federation named the Texas-born Randy Waldrum head coach. The following year, he met Alozie and Esther Okoronkwo through a contact, simply because they were Nigerian and training with the Houston Dash in the NWSL at the time. Waldrum was in town and short on players; he needed eligible last-minute volunteers for a scrimmage and recruited them. Waldrum, who also served as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh's women's soccer program (where he recruited Abiodun), has spoken at length about the importance of searching beneath the radar and recruiting across the diaspora. Alozie grew up in Southern California. Okoronkwo is just outside of Houston. The landscape of African football has drastically changed since 1991, when Nigeria appeared at the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. South African football has steadily developed over the decades. Zambia have transformed from a backwater to a soccer talent factory that has a direct pipeline into the NWSL. Morocco has gone even further, investing millions into women's football at grassroots, club and international level, and hosting three WAFCONs from 2022-2026. When the Atlas Lionesses first played Nigeria in 1998, they were humbled 6-0, but the student became the teacher in 2022 when they knocked out Super Falcons in a fiery semifinal. Still, Nigeria's historic success grants the team a platform few other countries have. That also comes with the heavy burden that accompanies every successful team. Anything less than continued success is seen as failure, not only for the individual team or country, but possibly the continent. And off the field, winning has not kept conflict with the federation at bay. In 2022, the team boycotted training ahead of their WAFCON bronze medal match after not being paid their bonuses. After the 2023 World Cup, the players had to seek help from the international players' union FIFPRO to claim bonuses dating back to 2021. Ahead of the competition, Waldrum said that he had not been paid for over a year. 'It's been nothing but a constant issue. Up until about three weeks ago, I had been owed up to 14 months' salary,' he said while speaking to the On The Whistle Podcast. 'The two and a half years before that, it was the same thing. I would go five or six months without anything, and then they would pay you a bit of it.' Advertisement Since Waldrum's exit after the Paris Olympics, Nigeria have not replaced him. Instead, the team is being led by Waldrum's former assistant Madugu, who has only been appointed on an interim basis. Regardless of his status as a temporary coach and the challenges within the federation, the pressure remains the same — and Madugu knows it. After the team's slow start to the tournament, Nigerians were anything but quiet about their concerns, flooding comments sections and lobbing questions at Madugu, who apologized. Still, players know what a 10th title could do to push the roller coaster back up the track. And they have plenty of talent to do so. Nigeria still produces talent at a rate that none of the other teams can, and are subsequently able to leave NWSL players like Kanu, who competed in the 2022 WAFCON campaign and scored a goal, and Gift Monday out of the WAFCON squad. Mission X is a quest not just for the current squad, everyone who surrounds this team. 'It would mean a lot for the team to win the 10th title,' Kanu said. 'The whole country is looking up to the team to make that happen.'
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
WAFCON 2024 semifinals: Nigeria knocks South Africa out; Morocco joins Super Falcons with win on penalties
Michelle Alozie's long ball bounced into the goal in stoppage time to give Nigeria a 2-1 victory over South Africa on Tuesday and send the Super Falcons into the final at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Falcons have won nine WAFCON titles. Disappointed by their fourth-place finish in the 2022 tournament, they dubbed their goal to win this event as 'Mission X.' Alozie, who plays in the National Women's Soccer League for the Houston Dash, sent the ball forward from distance four minutes into stoppage time. Although two teammates were in front of South Africa's net, neither of them touched the ball as it bounced into the goal. Rasheedat Ajibade, who plays for Atlético Madrid, converted a penalty just before half-time to put Nigeria ahead 1-0. The Super Falcons were awarded the penalty because of a handball in the box. South Africa, the defending WAFCON champion, pulled even on Linda Motlhalo's penalty in the 60th minute. Nigeria, which had not previously conceded a goal in the tournament, routed Zambia 5-0 in the quarterfinals to advance. South Africa, led by coach Desiree Ellis, advanced on penalties after a scoreless draw with Senegal. There was a scary moment in the 84th minute when South Africa midfielder Gabriela Salgado went down with an injury and players from both teams frantically gestured for help. Salgado was stretchered off with her left leg heavily wrapped as her teammates sobbed. The crowd at Stade Larbi Zaouli chanted her name. Morocco sets final with Nigeria Goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi blocked Comfort Yeboah's attempt as host Morocco advanced to the championship of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw with Ghana on Tuesday. Ghana took a first-half lead. Er-Rmichi got a hand on Josephine Bonsu's header, but it bounced off the post and skittered across the goal for Stella Nyamekye to push it into the net in the 26th minute. Morocco equalised in the 55th when Sakina Ouzraoui bounced a pass from her chest to her feet and scored from underneath diving Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan. ALSO READ: Why is CAF investigating Algeria at WAFCON 2024? Scoreless for the rest of regulation, the match went to extra time at Rabat's Olympic Stadium. Morocco has seen its national team rise in recent years. The team reached the WAFCON final in 2022 but fell to South Africa. Morocco also went to the Women's World Cup for the first time in 2023 and advanced to the round of 16. Morocco advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Mali, while Ghana downed Algeria 4-2 on penalties after a scoreless draw.
eNCA
23-07-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Super Falcons end Banyana's WAFCON dream
JOHANNESBURG - Banyana Banyana's dream of defending their Women's Africa Cup of Nations title has come to an abrupt end. South Africa has been eliminated by record winners Nigeria 2-1 in the semi-final encounter in Casablanca. With the score level at 1-1, Michelle Alozie scored the winner in added time.
