The U17 Women National Teams of Cameroon, Zambia, Nigeria, Burundi, Kenya, Benin and Botswana have one foot in the third and final round of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The seven countries managed to secure crucial victories in the first leg second round of the competition and will be hoping to complete the assignment in their respective reverse fixtures set to be played from Wednesday (12 March) into this coming weekend.
Points were shared in only one match when Sierra Leone and Guinea cancelled each other out in a 2-all stalemate in Bo, Sierra Leone. This clash could go either way in Bamako, Mali where Guinea will be the home team in the second leg.
Cameroon were the biggest winners as they almost put the result beyond doubt at home with a 5-2 win over Ethiopia in Yaoundé.
Zambia, who were at the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, registered a convincing 3-0 victory against Tanzania in Chamazi.
The pair of Nigeria and Burundi will be confident of protecting their leads as they each have a 3-1 advantage over South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire respectively. The Nigerian Flamingos will host the second leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne where Bantwana will need to score three without a reply from the home team. The South Africans depart for West Africa on Wednesday (12 March).
Burundi will be home away from home in Abidjan against Cote d’Ivoire.
Uganda have a mountain to climb away to Kenya in Nairobi after going down 2-0 at home, while Benin will be hoping to continue where they left off when they travel to DR Congo. Benin won 2-0.
Botswana have a slight advantage following a 2-1 victory against Algeria. The COSAFA representatives will have to dig deep to maintain their lead at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida, Algeria.
FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP:
FIRST LEG SECOND ROUND FIXTURES:
| 1st leg | 2nd leg | |||
| Uganda | Kenya | 0–2 | 16 Mar (Nairobi) | |
| Cameroon | Ethiopia | 5–2 | 15 Mar (Addis Ababa) | |
| Tanzania | Zambia | 0–3 | 15 Mar (Ndola) | |
| Benin | DR Congo | 2–0 | 16 Mar (Kinshasa) | |
| South Africa | Nigeria | 1–3 | 15 Mar (Ikenne) | |
| Botswana | Algeria | 2–1 | 16 Mar (Blida) | |
| Ivory Coast | Burundi | 1–3 | 12 Mar (Abidjan) | |
| Sierra Leone | Guinea | 2–2 | 15 Mar (Bamako) |
The eight remaining teams will progress to the third and final round.
And from this phase, which will be played in April, only four will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, joining hosts Morocco as the five African representatives.
THIRD ROUND FIXTURES:
| Team 1 | Team 2 | |||
| Uganda/Kenya | Cameroon/Ethiopia | |||
| Tanzania/Zambia | Benin/DR Congo | |||
| South Africa/Nigeria | Botswana/Algeria | |||
| Ivory Coast/Burundi | Sierra Leone/Guinea |
By Matlhomola Morake
