Sports

African ladies converge in Morocco for Wafcon ‘war’

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2022

Lovers of female football on the African continent will be treated to a spectacular soccer ‘war’ for the next three weeks as the best soccer nations gather in Morocco for the 14th edition of the Women Africa Cup of Nations tagged Wafcon.

The female soccer fiesta which kicked off on Saturday, will see the two Moroccan cities of Rabat and Casablanca play host to the finest female soccer artistry to come out of the continent.

The 12 nations will also battle for the prestigious trophy while aiming to upstage perenial champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria who have won the trophy a record nine times.

The tournament will also be more intense as it doubles as the African qualifiers to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the top four teams at the WAFCON automatically qualifying for the Mundial in Australia and New Zealand, while two more teams will advance into the inter-confederation play-offs to contest for the final three FIFA Women’s World Cup spots.

Super Falcons of Nigeria is the clear favourites to win Wafcon 2022 (Photo Credit: CAF)

The 2022 Wafcon will also be the first time 12 teams will be participating in the tournament with Togo, Burundi, Burkina Faso and Botswana making their debuts.

As usual, Nigeria’s Super Falcons are the clear favourites with its array of stars including Barcelona’s Azeezat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade of Atletico Madrid and free scoring Gift Monday of Bayelsa Queens set to paint Morocco with goals, the quest for a 10th title may not be far fetched.

But they will have their biggest threats in the Bayana Bayana of South Africa, a team that has proven to be one of the best in the continent in recent times.

The two rivals will begin their qufit for the trophy on Monday, July 4, while Nigeria will battle debutants Botswana on Thursday, July 7 and another debutants, Burundi on July 10th.

Morocco celebrating their goal at the Wafcon (Photo Credit: CAF)

In the opening match played on Saturday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, hosts Morocco defeated a spirited Burkina Faso side 1-0 courtesy of a free kick goal by inspirational captain Ghizlane Chebbak in the 29th minute and held on to run out victorious.

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.