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BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Zambia vs Nigeria Wafcon quarter-finals match preview
Nigeria Super Falcons and Zambia go face each oda for di quarter-finals stage as di ongoing Women Africa Cup of nations continue to heat up. Di Larbi Zaouli stadium, Casablanca go come alive again for dis epic tie wey pipo don describe as final bifor di final. Nine time winners Nigeria get evritin to play for as dem dey hope to continue dia campaign for dia 10th title wey dem call 'Mission X'. Zambia too no wan gree as dem wan fight to win dia first eva Women's title for di continent. According to football pundits, di match go tie wrapper as current Women Africa Best Player, Barbra Banda go face off wit di record six -time African Women Footballer award winner, Asisat Oshoala. For dis ogbonge match, who go get di semi-final ticket, which team go raise dia head high, who go get di bragging rights, which attacking force sharp pass and which team defence dey easy to break? Afta 90 minutes, e go clear for evribodi eyes sake of say, di two teams no lose any match for group stage. Dia attack and defence dey compact too and beta players full di midfield. Nigeria and Zambia fans dey ready to watch entertaining football wit a touch of tension on Friday. Team news Some players go miss from di two teams sake of injury and some go return for dis match. Zambia, Xiomara Mapepa go miss di match sake of fitness wahala due to a fitness wahala but dia midfielder Grace Chanda go comeback as she don serve her suspension finish. Nigeria go also miss forward Chioma Okafor, who no go play due to hand injury wey she get during training, but Deborah Abiodun don return afta her one-match suspension. Wetin di coaches tok Nigeria top Group B wit seven points and dem start wit wit 3-0 win ova Tunisia Ihezuo late winner against Botswana and di goalless draw wit Algeria Di Super Falcons neva concede any goal for dis competition. E show say dia defence tight and dem get beta structure. "Our preparations dey good. "We dey try as much as possible to make sure say di girls dey ready," Madugu tok. "Preparations dey okay." "We dey try to improve our goal conversion. Dis tins dey take time; no be magic. But I trust di girls go make impact." Zambia, play well too for Group A, dem finish second sake of goal difference wit Morocco. The Copper Queens play 2-2 draw against di Atlas Lionesses, dem comeback to beat Senegal 3-2 na 1-0 win dem use qualify against DR Congo. "My team dey ready for di next stage. We move down to Casablanca yesterday [Wednesday] and wey dey excited and prepared for di game." "Our transition na one of di best for di world," Hauptle tok, "defenders struggle wen we challenge dem wit speed." She add say dem believe in team unity and mentality: "We no dey look too much on di opponent but focus on our strengths. We believe in unity and love, na wetin drive us." "We no go allow Nigeria to keep di initiative. On Friday, we go show dem wetin we fit do."
CAF
05-07-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Morocco - Zambia: Crossing Shots, Shared Visions
There is nothing to separate them. Morocco and Zambia, the rising stars of African Women's Football, kickoff the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 this Saturday at the Stade Olympique in Rabat, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Between shared ambition and extraordinary memories, this much-anticipated fixture sounds as much a revenge platform as it does a declaration of intent. Two Parallel Paths Their progress follows an almost symmetrical tempo. Semi-finalists at the WAFCON 2022, World Cup participants the following year, the two teams embody this new generation that is shaking up the established order. On paper, nothing really separates them. On the pitch, however, recent history has left its mark. Zambia: From the Shadows to the Light 10 years ago, the Copper Queens played almost anonymously. Today, they arrive in Morocco with a strong and bold team, driven by a golden generation. Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda and Ireen Lungu, who emerged at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2014 in Costa Rica, laid the foundations. But it is 25-year-old Racheal Kundananji who embodies the shift into a new era: her world record-breaking transfer to Bay FC for €735,000 has made a lasting impression. "We are both witnesses and agents of change. There is a real new perspective around Zambia, in Africa. It is a source of pride, but also a great responsibility," she explains. At the helm of this ambitious team, Nora Häuptle is new to the WAFCON after a successful experience in Ghana. The Swiss tactician wants to establish an ambitious style. "It is an honour to lead this team full of potential. My goal is to create an environment where players can express themselves freely while developing a strong and cohesive playing identity." Morocco: A Host's Revenge At home, Morocco begin their WAFCON with a status to defend. Finalists in the last edition, the Atlas Lionesses want to improve. And above all, to recover from the trauma of their Paris 2024 Olympics elimination. Last April, they were eliminated by... Zambia. Beaten 2-1 in the first leg, the Copper Queens won 2-0 in Rabat, snatching their ticket to the Games. The defeat is still raw. "This defeat hurt us a lot, especially because it happened on our home turf, in front of our home crowd. But it made us grow. We learned to stay clear-headed, to not let our guard down. This opening match is our way of turning the page and writing a new chapter," sighs Ghizlane Chebbak, the iconic captain and Best Player of the WAFCON 2022. "We want to offer something great to our fans. Winning here, at home, would be more than an achievement. It would be an act of faith." To guide this ambition, the federation has entrusted the reins to Jorge Vilda, recently crowned World Champion with Spain. "Playing a WAFCON at home is enormous pressure. My role is to transform this pressure into energy. We want the Moroccan fans to be proud of a team that is committed, liberated, and true to its values," explains the Spanish coach. The weight of memories, the urgency of the present "It is true that by now, we know each other well," acknowledges Chebbak. And this alone adds spice to a confrontation already laden with symbolism. This Morocco-Zambia match is not just an opening fixture; it is a test of ambition, character and maturity. On the Zambian side, suspicion reigns. This game is unprecedented in the WAFCON, but recent history lends further depth to this encounter. "We have enormous respect for this Moroccan team, which is playing on home soil, making them a formidable opponent," notes Häuptle. "But we have our own ambitions. Every match of this WAFCON will be a battle. Our Olympic qualification is not the end; it is a foundation on which to build. We want to show that Zambia is here to stay." Between a Moroccan team driven by the need to excel at home, and a Zambian team driven by a desire to conquer, the duel promises to be an electric start to the tournament. Two visions, two identities, one certainty: this first clash will leave no one indifferent.
