By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist
Head Bow…Super Falcons Captain Asisat Oshoala walking off the pitch after yet another defeat in Accra by Black Queens of Ghana, although Nigeria advanced on 2-1 goals aggregate.
Ghana have become the first high-profile African women’s football playing nation to be eliminated from the next TotalEnergies African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) final billed for Morocco in 2022 as the Black Queens beat Super Falcons 1-0 in the return leg first round qualifier match in Accra on Sunday but failed to advance to the Second Round.
Instead, it is the reigning African Champions, Nigeria that qualified 2-1 on goals aggregate, thanks to the first leg 2-0 defeat of Ghana at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan in Lagos last Wednesday courtesy of a brace from Sweden-based striker, Uchenna Kanu.
Spain-based Princella Adubea’s 69′ goal assisted by Portia Boakye gave the Ghanaians hope of overhauling the 11th-time African Champions (including 1991 and 1995 editions) at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra on the day. Indeed, the Black Queens played out their hearts but could not make it through to the next round.
Infact, the Coach Randy Waldrum tutored Super Falcons have mother luck and experience to thank for not conceeding more than a goal in the match as Coach Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo led Black Queens threw the kitchen sink on their eternal rivals in African continent to score more goals but failed.
Nigeria will now face Cote d’Ivoire’s ‘La Elephantes’ (Female Elephants) in the decisive Second Round where the winner over two legs will make it to Morocco 2022. This is even as the Ivoiren senior women’s football team has a 9-0 goals advantage going into tomorrow’s return leg encounter against hapless Niger Republic in Abidjan.
Cote d Ivoire knocked out Nigeria in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics African qualifiers right here in the country with an away goal advantage after playing out 1-1 at Agege Stadium in Lagos in the return leg tie. Both countries had played a barren draw in Abidjan one week earlier.
Black Queens players celebrating their lone goal against Nigeria
Elsewhere, the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) confirmed that three countries have earlier qualified for the Second Round after their opponents withdrew from the competition.
They are Togo after Sao Tome & Principe pulled out after losing 5-0 to Togo at home in the first leg of the first round last Friday just as Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea won on walkover and advanced to the second round after Rwanda and DR Congo failed to appear for their first leg matches respectively.
Also, Kenya with 15-1 on aggregate over South Sudan qualified after the Harambee Starlets again demolished South Sudan 1-7 in the return leg match with goals from Makuei 81′ (South Sudan) and Kenya’s Adam 37′ (pen.), 45′; Bundi 48′ ;Shikangwa 67′, 73′ ; Akoth 88′ and Atieno 90+3′.
Namibia made it through on 5-3 goals aggregate in place of hardfighting
Tanzania even as Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses with two scored by Grace Yango 86′ and Mambo Lambo 90+3′ helped to eliminate Central African Republic (CAR) on a 3-0 goals aggregate.
Cameroon had laboured to a 1-0 narrow win, thanks to star player, Ajara
Nchout 90+1′ goal at Japoma Stadium, Douala, Cameroon last week while the 2-0 in the return leg tie in Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé gifted Cameroon passage to the Second Round.
Meanwhile, many other countries especially in the North and Southern Africa, will play their return leg matches on Monday and Tuesday respectively Algeria, South Africa and Gambia look good to qualify if their first leg high scoreline are anything to rely on.
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