Latest news with #semifinals
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Nigeria's quest for a 10th WAFCON title is more than a mission. It's a search for their winning identity
After 96 minutes in the unforgiving Moroccan sun, two penalties and one horrible injury to Gabriela Salgado, Nigeria found a way to keep their 'Mission X' — to win a 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) — alive. Defender Michelle Alozie's surprising stoppage time cross-turned-goal proved to be the difference as Nigeria beat South Africa 2-1 in the semifinals on Tuesday. With the win, Nigeria secured their place at a WAFCON final for the first time in seven years. Advertisement It wasn't until Alozie exited the pitch that she even realized the goal had been hers. From a distance, it could have easily belonged to the box-crashing efforts of substitutes Deborah Abiodun or Chinwendu Ihezuo, who obstructed South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini just enough to allow the ball to squeak past the end line without fouling her. 'When I went into the locker room, I was like, 'Wait, what? This is my face on the post!'' Alozie told The Athletic after the game. A post shared by CAF Women's Football (@cafwomenfootball) Nigeria's journey in this tournament has been neither linear nor expected; their moments of excellence have been acknowledged only with an unapologetic raising of the bar. The nine-time continental champions' group stage performances included a 3-0 victory over Tunisia and a scoreless draw with Algeria so tepid that it prompted an apology from their head coach. 'We want to apologize to our dear countrymen and women for not winning the game because I know the expectation is that we must always win,' interim head coach Justin Madugu told the Super Falcon Show in the mixed zone after the match. 'We will make sure that we work harder to make them happier in the subsequent games that we have to play.' A highly anticipated but ultimately anticlimactic quarterfinal meeting with Zambia followed. Despite Zambia's dynamic duo of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, Nigeria put on a showcase, silencing the Copper Queens with a 5-0 victory with five different goalscorers. After their tense win over South Africa, the Nigeria are now one match away from their 10th WAFCON title and re-establishing their dominance on the continent. With a population estimated just shy of 230 million people, and a diaspora of about 17 million, there are Nigerian eyes, ears and mouths everywhere. And right now, there is one mantra, one cry that can be heard from Lagos to Casablanca: Mission X. However, it is not simply about the perfect, round satisfaction of the number 10. It is about reasserting their place atop women's soccer in Africa. But the arc has been more of a roller coaster, and Saturday's clash with hosts Morocco will determine whether Nigeria are, in fact, turning up or backsliding. Advertisement After leaving defeated from the 2022 WAFCON, where Nigeria were knocked out of the semifinals by Morocco, this team has been on a journey of redemption. It began at the 2023 World Cup, where Nigeria held then-reigning Olympic gold medalists Canada to a scoreless draw (which included Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saving a penalty taken by the legendary Christine Sinclair), beat hosts Australia and pushed European champions England to penalties. That knockout-round appearance — along with those of their continental colleagues South Africa and Morocco — drew more attention to the continued rise of women's football in Africa. But the roller coaster dipped again a year later at the Summer Olympics in France when Nigeria failed to advance out of their group with losses to Spain, Brazil, and Japan. Critics called for a refresh that championed youth talent. They questioned the selections of veteran players who hadn't proven their worth for their clubs, and they were unable to understand how a team with Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Jennifer Echegini, Uchenna Kanu, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Ifeoma Onumonu on its roster wasn't spraying goals all over the place as they'd seen this team do for decades prior. Nigeria has long been a vanguard of women's football in Africa. The local scene was already thriving in 1989, with more than a dozen clubs playing in Lagos when the Nigeria Football Federation officially recognized women's clubs. And a year later, they were invited to participate in the qualifiers for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. The newly formed national team went on to become the only African team at the 1991 tournament in China. 'By the time other African countries embraced the game, Nigeria had gotten ahead,' former Super Falcons player and coach Florence Omagbemi tells The Athletic. 'We set up a strong foundation and legacy for the team, which is winning.' Advertisement During the inaugural WAFCON in 1998, on home soil, the Nigerian faithful were treated to a masterclass. Their country scored 30 goals without reply across five games as they romped to the title. By that time, no other African nation had played in an official tournament. Nigeria had two World Cups under their belt and were headed to a pivotal third. The world remembers the 1999 Women's World Cup as women's soccer's debut on the global stage, with Brandi Chastain's sports-bra-bearing celebration becoming one of the most iconic photos in tournament history. In Nigeria, the memories are similarly sweet for different reasons. 'I think the biggest shock was the 1999 World Cup when we came to the U.S.,' remembers Omagbemi, who won four WAFCONs as a player and one as a coach. Nigeria was drawn into a group with North Korea, Denmark and the United States. After handling North Korea in the first match 2-1, Nkiru Okosieme scored 73 seconds into the game against the U.S. at Soldier Field in Chicago. The goal was fraught in the moment as the USWNT went on to win 7-1. However, it was a wake-up call for Nigeria, who went on to beat Denmark to qualify for the quarterfinals. 'That was the one that opened the door for most of the team because that was the first African team to get to the quarterfinal stage,' says Omagbemi, who, along with many of her teammates, signed with clubs in the U.S. and around the world off the back of the tournament. Nigeria lost 4-3 to Brazil on a golden goal in extra time of the knockout match, but making that first quarterfinal was enough to accelerate their momentum with a ripple effect across the continent. When it came to club football, Nigeria had gone global, but it took some time for their cosmopolitanism to show up on the national team. Players born in Nigeria were getting recruited to play abroad, but the post-independence spread of the diaspora meant thousands, then hundreds of thousands, and now millions more living outside the country, creating arguably one of the widest wells of footballing talent in the world. Advertisement In October 2020, the Nigerian Football Federation named the Texas-born Randy Waldrum head coach. The following year, he met Alozie and Esther Okoronkwo through a contact, simply because they were Nigerian and training with the Houston Dash in the NWSL at the time. Waldrum was in town and short on players; he needed eligible last-minute volunteers for a scrimmage and recruited them. Waldrum, who also served as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh's women's soccer program (where he recruited Abiodun), has spoken at length about the importance of searching beneath the radar and recruiting across the diaspora. Alozie grew up in Southern California. Okoronkwo is just outside of Houston. The landscape of African football has drastically changed since 1991, when Nigeria appeared at the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. South African football has steadily developed over the decades. Zambia have transformed from a backwater to a soccer talent factory that has a direct pipeline into the NWSL. Morocco has gone even further, investing millions into women's football at grassroots, club and international level, and hosting three WAFCONs from 2022-2026. When the Atlas Lionesses first played Nigeria in 1998, they were humbled 6-0, but the student became the teacher in 2022 when they knocked out Super Falcons in a fiery semifinal. Still, Nigeria's historic success grants the team a platform few other countries have. That also comes with the heavy burden that accompanies every successful team. Anything less than continued success is seen as failure, not only for the individual team or country, but possibly the continent. And off the field, winning has not kept conflict with the federation at bay. In 2022, the team boycotted training ahead of their WAFCON bronze medal match after not being paid their bonuses. After the 2023 World Cup, the players had to seek help from the international players' union FIFPRO to claim bonuses dating back to 2021. Ahead of the competition, Waldrum said that he had not been paid for over a year. 'It's been nothing but a constant issue. Up until about three weeks ago, I had been owed up to 14 months' salary,' he said while speaking to the On The Whistle Podcast. 'The two and a half years before that, it was the same thing. I would go five or six months without anything, and then they would pay you a bit of it.' Advertisement Since Waldrum's exit after the Paris Olympics, Nigeria have not replaced him. Instead, the team is being led by Waldrum's former assistant Madugu, who has only been appointed on an interim basis. Regardless of his status as a temporary coach and the challenges within the federation, the pressure remains the same — and Madugu knows it. After the team's slow start to the tournament, Nigerians were anything but quiet about their concerns, flooding comments sections and lobbing questions at Madugu, who apologized. Still, players know what a 10th title could do to push the roller coaster back up the track. And they have plenty of talent to do so. Nigeria still produces talent at a rate that none of the other teams can, and are subsequently able to leave NWSL players like Kanu, who competed in the 2022 WAFCON campaign and scored a goal, and Gift Monday out of the WAFCON squad. Mission X is a quest not just for the current squad, everyone who surrounds this team. 'It would mean a lot for the team to win the 10th title,' Kanu said. 'The whole country is looking up to the team to make that happen.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Germany feeling 'empty' after almost successful team rebuilding
Ann-Katrin Berger's quiet words were almost drowned out while Spain loudly celebrated and danced around the team bus in the rain after beating Germany to reach the women's Euro 2025 final. Meanwhile, Berger was taking responsibility for the 1-0 defeat in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening. Aitana Bonmatí's 113th-minute goal was tough on the German goalkeeper, who has shone this tournament but said she should have done better while expecting a cross. "I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't be there at that moment. The team deserved terribly to be in the final," she said. "I should have known better. A brilliant player like Bonmatí naturally sees the smallest gap. I'm disappointed in myself," said Berger, who who saved two penalties in the quarter-finals shoot-out against France. Coach Christian Wück, however, made it clear that he didn't blame Berger for the defeat. "She didn't have to do that (take responsibility). She made so many wonderful saves that got us to where we are. There is no blame, we are very proud of the team." While Spain will now face defending champions England for the 2025 title, Germany will return home feeling "completely empty." "We're now completely empty, I'm also empty and need four, five days to get my thoughts straight again. But we can still be proud," Wück said. Wück led team's rebuilding Euro 2025 was Wück's first tournament with the national team as he took charge after the Paris Olympics and following some turbulent times. Germany suffered a huge blow at the 2023 women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and missed the knock-out stage for the first time in their history. After the tournament, then coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg stepped away with an illness and her contract was later voided. Horst Hrubesch took over the team on an interim basis and helped them claim bronze at the Paris Olympics last summer against Spain. For the Euros, Wück notably missed former captain Alexandra Popp, who retired for the national team, and had to start rebuilding the team. "We initiated a rebuild in October of last year. We brought several young players into our team and had a few players that retired that we had to find replacements for," he said. "I think that the growth we've undergone was clear to see. I don't think many people would have expected us to reach the semi-finals. We came so close." Messages from Steinmeier and Merz German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who attended the game against Spain, praised the team on Instagram after the match. "You are true role models. You deserve our greatest thanks and respect!" he wrote. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz couldn't be at the game in Switzerland due to the visit of France President Emmanuel Macron to Berlin, but was planning to attend the final in case Germany had advanced. "You fought hard until the end, but unfortunately it wasn't enough. Dear women's team, thank you for these great football moments - we are proud of you," he said on X.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Photo highlights from the semifinals at the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament
This gallery, curated by AP photo editors, shows highlights from semifinals at the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament in Switzerland. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: Instagram: X: ___ AP soccer: 32 words
Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Photo highlights from the semifinals at the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament
This gallery, curated by AP photo editors, shows highlights from semifinals at the Women's Euro 2025 soccer tournament in Switzerland. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: Instagram: X: ___ AP soccer: 32 words
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 UEFA Women's Euro semifinals: How to watch today's Germany vs. Spain match
Today, reigning world champion Spain will face Germany in the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro semifinals. This will be the two teams' ninth meeting. Germany has won the tournament eight times overall — and has never lost to Spain. The winners of this match will head to the final on Sunday, July 27. The action kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Fox. Here's everything you need to know to tune into Germany vs. Spain at the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro. How to watch Germany vs. Spain at the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro: Date: Wednesday, July 23 Time: 3 p.m. ET TV channel: Fox Streaming: DirecTV, Fubo and more What channel is the Germany vs. Spain match on? Every remaining match of the UEFA Women's Euro will air on Fox. How to watch Germany vs. Spain without cable: Fox is available on platforms including Fubo, DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV. How to watch the 2025 Women's UEFA Euro with a VPN: If you don't have Fox and don't want to add another streaming service subscription to your life, you could always try tuning in with the help of a VPN. In the U.K., matches will air for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. With a VPN, you can set your location to England and sign in to one of those channels to access live broadcasts of the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro. 2025 Women's UEFA Euro Schedule: All times Eastern Semifinals Wednesday, July 23Germany vs. Spain, 3 p.m. (Fox) Finals Sunday, July 27Winner of England/Italy vs. winners of Germany/Spain: 12 p.m. (Fox) Who is playing in the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro semifinals? The 2025 UEFA Women's Euro soccer tournament began with 16 national teams competing for the UEFA Women's Euro trophy. The final four teams entering the semifinals are England, Italy, Germany and Spain. More ways to watch the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro:
