Sports Revelation Online ..breaking authenic sports reports
By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist
Eyes on the Trophy. …Super Falcons co-Captains Onome Ebi (R) and Rita Chikwelu lifting WAFCON Trophy way back in 2018 in Ghana in the presence of ex-NFF President Amaju Pinnick and CAF top officials.
The 15th edition of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) billed for the North African country, Morocco in 2024 will go ahead after all.
This heartwarming piece of information was dropped on Thursday night by a top official of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr. Luxolo September, Head of Television and Broadcasting (Commercial) who was a guest on a cable television programme, Soccer Africa which is broadcast from South Africa.
Answering questions on when the biggest women’s football competition in Africa will hold this year, Mr. September said that despite the uncertainty surrounding the staging of the tournament in Morocco, it will certainly hold within the year.
According to him the traditional biennial event which started in Nigeria in 1998 will hold in Morocco this year, pointing out that CAF is in constant discussions with the stakeholders to ensure that the competition does not suffer unnecessary delays.
Said he: “CAF leadership is working hard to ensure that WAFCON will hold in Morocco this year. There is no doubt about it. What happened is that 2024 FIFA football calendar did not align with CAF calendar and there is the Olympic Games in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11, 2024 which African women’s football teams will also participate in but I must say that we are working round it”.
Mr. Luxolo September, CAF Head of Television and Broadcasting
The CAF official insists that the competition will not suffer any postponement, pointing out that CAF leadership is aware of the crowded calendar and is working tirelessly to ensure that the tournament is organised within the year in Morocco.
“This competition will surely hold this year. There is nothing to fear. We must found a way round it”, Mr. September concluded.
Continental powerhouse, Nigeria with an unprecedented record of nine WAFCON trophies and being sole African representatives in two earlier FIFA Women’s World Cup in China and Sweden in 1991 and 1995 respectively has also qualified for the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco.
However, as the anticipation for the 2024 edition of the prestigious tournament builds, uncertainty looms over the staging of the event this year just as the country and three others South Africa, Morocco and Zambia focus their attentions now to next month’s Paris 2024 Olympics Women’s Football Tournament African Qualifiers final round.