Morocco 2022: The Field Now Complete as Nigeria, 10 Others Qualify for AWCON

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

Nigeria comfortably qualified for her 13th Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) after defeating Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 courtesy of Ijeoma Esther Okoronkwo’s  87′ goal on Wednesday at Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan as Nigeria  qualified on 3-0 on aggregate.

Also, ‘Africa’s Elites’ teams- Cameroon and South Africa with 11 previous appearances have qualified for the 12th time even as no fewer than four countries have qualified for AWCON for the  first time ever.

The nations making their debuts in AWCON are Burundi, Burkina Faso, Botswana and Togo, a tiny West African country which have for long played a second fiddle to neighbours, Ghana and Nigeria.

Other qualified teams are (Host) Morocco, Uganda, Zambia, Senegal and Tunisia that have made previous appearances in AWCON.

Below are the qualified twelve teams for the final tournament in July:

 *Morocco (hosts)- 2 (1998, 2000)

* Uganda-1 (2000)

*Burundi (Debut)

*Zambia-3 (1995, 2014, 2018)

*Senegal-1 (2012)

*Togo- (Debut)

*Tunisia-1 (2008)

*Burkina Faso (Debut)

*Nigeria- 13 (1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

*Botswana- (Debut)

*Cameroon-12 (1991, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

*South Africa- 12 (1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018).