Morocco 2022 Qualifiers: Goals galore as Algeria spells Sudan, Khartoum in 14-0 massacre

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist

Algeria has sounded a note of warning to other countries in the running for the 11 qualification tickets for the African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) Morocco 2022 by walloping hapless Sudan 14-0 in the first leg of the first round tie played on Wednesday inside

Omar Hamadi Stadium, Algiers.

This is even as Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tunisia and tiny nation,  Botswana recorded high scoreline in their respective first leg matches on Wednesday to brighten their chances of qualifying for the next round of the competition.

Indeed, Algeria’s 14–0 massacre of  Sudan in Algiers has sent jitters down the spines of their second round opponents and by extention other countries that will qualify for the AWCON final in  Morocco next year. It took only two minutes for the Sudanese senior women’s football team to collapse as an own goal by defender, Oum Srir opened the floodgates of goals  rain just as striker Safia Bouhenni made it two goals for Algeria in the 6th minute.

Bouhenni was to score three more goals in the 15′, 37′ and 46′ of the one-sided match with her six other  compatriots registering their names in the scoresheet on the day. The scorers are: Koui- 11′, 67′ ; Bouzid 17′, 18′ ; Ould Braham, 29′, 30′; Belkacemi 48′; Bara 67′ and Merrouche 82′ respectively.

Center referee Ms. Asma Chouchane from neighbouring Tunisia supervised the total annihilation of the  Sudanese who had no solution to the free-scoring Algerians.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s next opponents in the second round, Ivory Coast went goals-crazy at Stade Général Seyni Kountché in  Niamey by thrashing Niger 9-0 at their backyard on Wednesday to make the return leg in Abidjan on Sunday a mere formality.  Also, at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya hammered South Sudan’s senior women’s football team 8-0 to make their second leg an academic exercise.

Banyana Banyana of South Africa are not slowing down at all as they went to Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo to hit Mozambique 7-0 in the first leg while Eritrea also lost 0-5 to Burundi at Denden Stadium, Asmara. In the same vein,  Angola lost 1-5 to Botswana at Estádio dos Coqueiros in Luanda as host Egypt surprisingly lost 2-6 to Tunisia at Petro Sport Stadium, Cairo

However, with Equatorial Guinea advancing after DR Congo failed to travel to honour the first leg alongside Djibouti after Rwanda pulled out, other countries who recorded slim victories are Nigeria 2-0 over Ghana in Lagos and Uganda 2-0 defeat of Ethiopia in Kampala.

Others walking the  tightrope are Malawi 1-1 Zambia; Tanzania 1-2 Namibia and Congo 2-1Gabon just a the struggling Indomitable Lionesses had to rely on a 90+1′ goal by superstar, Ajara Nchout to edge Central Africa Republic 1-0

.**AWCON Morocco 2022 First Leg First Round Qualifiers Results**

*Algeria 14-0 Sudan

*Mali 2-2 Guinea

*Angola1-5 Botswana

*Burkina Faso 2-1 Benin

*Djibouti W/O Rwanda

*Guinea Bissau 1-0  Mauritania

*Niger 0-9 Ivory Coast

*Kenya 8-0 South Sudan

*Liberia 1-2 Senegal

*Nigeria 2-0 Ghana

*Congo 2-1 Gabon

*Egypt 2-6 Tunisia

*Malawi 1-1 Zambia

*Central Africa 0-1 Cameroon

*Eritrea 0-5 Burundi

*Mozambique 0-7 South Africa

*Tanzania 1-2 Namibia

*Uganda 2-0 Ethiopia

*Zimbabwe 3-1 Eswatini