The phrase – “It is Africa’s time’ is reverberating around the world after three teams from the continent made history by qualifying for the knockout stages of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup currently underway in Australia and New Zealand.
Forty-eight matches have been played in the group stages, which saw South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria claim their places in the last 16 of the tournament.
At the start of this year’s competition, no one would have predicted what would happen after the first phase of the World Cup.
Africa started with four representatives – Continental Champions South Africa, runners up in 2022 Morocco, Zambia who finished third and serial World Cup participants, Nigeria.
The North Africans achieved the feat on their World Cup debut.
Only Zambia could not hold their place and were eliminated after two losses in as many matches – but the debutants return home with a victory under their belt.
In fact, all the African teams managed to win at least one match – with the North Africans collecting six points in back to back victories.
Never before has three African sides qualified for the Last 16 in one go, soliciting a congratulatory message from CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
“CAF and the 54 African Nations that are members of CAF congratulates the Women’s Teams of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa for their historic and well-deserved qualification to the Round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023. The Super Falcons, the Atlas Lionesses and Banyana Banyana have made the people of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa, as well as the people of the rest of the African Continent very proud with their outstanding performances and hard-earned victories at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023,” Motsepe told CAFonline.
“ The future of Women’s football on the African Continent is bright. The victories and successes of the Nigerian, Moroccan and South African Women’s Teams will contribute significantly to the development and growth of Women’s football in Africa. CAF wishes the Nigerian, Moroccan and South African Women’s football Teams everything of the best for their upcoming matches.”
Nigeria tasted the knockout stages for the first time in 1999 in the USA, and were only joined by Cameroon into this phase four years ago in France.
History beckons for all three African nations as they attempt to win their first ever knockout match in a World Cup.
Nigeria will take on England, South Africa have a date with the Netherlands, while Morocco will lock horns with France – and with the knockout stages being just that, one cannot rule out an upset.
President of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Dr Danny Jordaan, also wished all three African teams well in their upcoming assignments.
“I went to see Banyana Banyana today, and I spoke to Refiloe Jane and Thembi Kgatlana. The team is in high spirits and ready to fight against the Netherlands on Sunday. I did send messages of congratulations to Nigeria and Morocco after they reached the Round of 16. We are happy to see the progress of women’s football on the continent.“South Africa is regarded as one of the leading Federations in the advancement of women’s football. In a landmark report, CAF has shown that South Africa has the highest number of registered women footballers. We have the highest number of women coaches, and we are one of the few Federations where all of our women’s teams are coached by women coaches.”
GROUP STAGE RESULTS:
SOUTH AFRICA:
1-2 vs Sweden, 2-2 vs Argentina, 3-2 vs Italy
NIGERIA:
0-0 vs Canada, 3-2 Australia, 0-0 Republic of Ireland
MOROCCO:
0-6 vs Germany, 1-0 vs South Korea, 1-0 Colombia
ZAMBIA:
0-5 Japan, 0-5 Spain, 3-1 Costa Rica
ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES:
Nigeria vs England
South Africa vs Netherlands
Morocco vs France
(CentreCircle.online is at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup courtesy of Sasol, sponsors of Banyana Banyana)