CAF President congratulates Nigeria, Morocco & South Africa for reaching FIFA Women World Cup’s Round of 16
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe has congratulated the Nigerian, Moroccan and South African Women’s Teams for their historic and well-deserved qualification to the Round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.
“CAF and the 54 African Nations that are members of CAF congratulates the Women’s Teams of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa for their historic and well-deserved qualification to the Round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023,” said President Motsepe.
“The Super Falcons, the Atlas Lionesses and Banyana Banyana have made the people of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa, as well as the people of the rest of the African Continent; very proud with their outstanding performances and hard-earned victories at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023. The future of Women’s football on the African Continent is bright.”
The victories and successes of the Nigerian, Moroccan and South African Women’s Teams will contribute significantly to the development and growth of Women’s football in Africa.
CAF wishes the Nigerian, Moroccan and South African Women’s football Teams everything of the best for their upcoming matches.
How the teams played so far?
32 teams competed at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand were divided into eight groups – Group A to H – for the first phase. In every group, each team faced each other once in a single-headed round robin format and the top two teams from each group qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Round of 16 – the first of the knockout stages.
Reigning champions USWNT, from Group E, only just made the cut for the Round of 16 after drawing two of their group games. Their only win came against Vietnam, before they failed to overcome 2019 finalists Netherlands and 2023 debutants Portugal.
The fate of co-hosts Australia went down to the very last fixture of Group B, after their shock 3-2 loss to Nigeria. An impressive 4-0 win over Canada, however, saw them finish top of the group – sending the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medallists home in the process.
England secured their place in the knockouts with three wins from three in Group D. 1-0 wins over Denmark and Haiti were followed by an incredible 6-0 performance against China. The Lionesses join Japan and Sweden as the only three sides to have won all of their group games this tournament.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 group stages saw some big names exit the competition.
Brazil were sent home after winning only one game in Group F against Panama. They then lost to France and drew to Jamaica – a result that sent the Reggae Girlz through to the knockouts and women’s football legend Marta out of her final ever Women’s World Cup.
Germany also failed to progress past group stages for the first time. Prior to this summer, their worst ever finish at a Women’s World Cup was a quarter-final exit, making 2023 their least impressive campaign to date.
Partly responsible for Germany’s early exit is Colombia, who topped Group H with two wins and a loss. This is only the second time in the nation’s history that they have reached the Women’s World Cup Round of 16. Their only loss came against Morocco who finished second in Group H in their debut Women’s World Cup campaign.
South Africa also qualified for their first ever Round of 16 at a Women’s World Cup. They finished second in Group G, above Italy and Argentina.
The 16 teams that qualified
- Switzerland 🇨🇭
- Norway 🇳🇴
- Australia 🇦🇺
- Nigeria 🇳🇬
- Japan 🇯🇵
- Spain 🇪🇸
- England 🏴
- Denmark 🇩🇰
- Netherlands 🇳🇱
- USA 🇺🇸
- France 🇫🇷
- Jamaica 🇯🇲
- Sweden 🇸🇪
- South Africa 🇿🇦
- Colombia 🇨🇴
- Morocco 🇲🇦
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
