Sports

WWC: Morocco defeat Colombia to join Nigeria, South Africa in round of 16

Published

1 year ago

August 3, 2023

Debutants Morocco have pulled one of the surprises of the FIFA Women’s World Cup after defeating Colombia 1-0 to join fellow Africans, Nigeria and South Africa in qualifying for the round of 16.

The Atlas Lionesses secured a hard-fought victory over the South Americans in their last Group H match played on Thursday, which saw both sides move into the next round after group favourites Germany could only manage a 1-1 draw against South Korea in the other match.

The North African ladies got the only goal of the match from the penalty spot after Anissa Lahmari reacted fastest to Ghizlane Chebbak’s saved penalty on the stroke of half time to give the tournament debutants all three points and set up a meeting with France in the next round.

From the blast of the whistle, the coach Reynald Pedros-tutored girls came out all guns blazing, piling considerable pressure on group leaders Colombia, needing a win to better the result of Germany who were also playing their final match against South Korea.

The win and qualification of Morocco proved a stunning comeback for a side who were pummeled 6-0 by Germany in their opening fixture, but followed that up with a pair of 1-0 wins over South Korea and Colombia.

Making it into its first-ever Women’s World Cup finals, Morocco have benefitted from considerable investment in the sport in recent years.

The Copper Queens of Zambia are the only African side that did not make it out of their pool, but they signed off with a 3-1 win in their final game against Costa Rica, which means that for the first time, all African teams have won matches at the Mundial.

Related Topics:Africa Colombia Featured Morocco Women's World Cup

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Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)