Women’s Soccer, July 2022: A Series
This is the fourth post in a series devoted to the 117 games of international women’s football played in July 2022, completing the group stage of the WAfCoN. If you’d like to start from the beginning (or to pick and choose your competitions), you can do so from my opening post. Tomorrow, I’ll turn to the opening rounds of the Copa América Femenina group stage.

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – Group Stage, Final Round (8^th-10^th)

On Friday the 8^th, midway through Germany’s 4-1 win over Denmark in the opening round of the Euros, the final round of group stage games in the WAfCoN kicked off with a simultaneous Group A finale, the third and fourth games of the month’s first 8-game day. Having each won both of their matches in the group, hosts Morocco and Senegal were already assured of a place in the quarterfinals and were playing to determine the group winner.

But as in their first two games, Senegal struggled to create anything. Although the only goal came from a fair but relatively soft handball penalty, created and scored by Ghizlane Chebbak, it was a thoroughly deserved result for the host team.  It was her third goal in three games, and put her in the lead for the Golden Boot.

On zero points a piece, both Uganda and Burkina Faso needed a win to have a chance of making the quarterfinals with a 3^rd place finish. Uganda had the better of a lively opening to the game, as Magret Kunihira scored in the opening 10’ of the game. When Burkina Faso went a player down for a rash challenge a few minutes later, Uganda were in the driver’s seat. But with 10’ remaining in the first half, Adama Congo recovered a ball in midfield and drove forward into the box, eluding for defenders to score one of the goals of the tournament while drawing Burkina Faso level.

The half wasn’t over, as first a defensive error by Burkina Faso and then a goalkeeping blunder by Uganda’s Daisy Nakaziro led to matching goals, capping off an entertaining four-goal half. Uganda controlled possession in the second half and had the majority of the chances, but Burkina Faso had chances as well, most notably a breakaway run by second half sub Limata Nikiéme at 78’ that she put narrowly wide of the left post. The game ended tied despite injury time chances for both sides. Burkina Faso took 3^rd place on goal differential, but were eliminated from advancing, ensuring the remaining 3^rd place teams a spot in the quarterfinals.

On Saturday the 9th, Group B finished up with an already qualified Zambia making quick work of last place Togo. They had already missed a penalty attempt and several other chances when Grace Chanda opened the scoring at 15’, and Ireen Lungu contributed a second not long after. A goalkeeping error by Hazel Nali allowed Togo to pull one back, but a narrow-angle goal from Xiomara Mapepa restored Zambia’s two-goal lead before halftime, and a second half header by Chanda finished off an impressively one-sided victory.

Though both Cameroon and Tunisia seemed likely to qualify even before kick-off, given Togo’s slim chance of upsetting Zambia, Cameroon were looking to turn around an underwhelming tournament thus far and needed a win against Tunisia to take 2^nd place in the group. They got the start they were hoping for with Michaela Abam scoring on a counter-attack from the top of the box just 3’ in. Cameroon never really looked back, and though they did not add a second until the final minute of regulation, Ajara Nchout adding a headed goal to her assist from the opener, the game never felt close.

South Africa and Nigeria were the overwhelming favorites in the final Group C games on Sunday the 10^th, with Botswana on three points likely to advance barring a Burundi upset of 2^nd-place Nigeria. Nigeria made sure that that wouldn’t happen when Burundi’s keeper injured herself giving up a penalty midway through a first half. Rasheedat Adibaje scored the penalty she had created, and Nigeria added two more in next the 5’ against the 16 year-old substitute keeper. Uchenna Kanu would score her 2^nd of the game at the start of the 2^nd half for a 4-0 victory.

Meanwhile, South Africa peppered Botswana’s goal throughout the first half, but were unable to get the breakthrough. More worryingly, striker Jermaine Seoposenwe had to leave the game in the first half with an ankle issue. Even worse, Thembi Kgatlana ruptured her Achilles tendon shortly after the restart, ending her tournament. Her substitute, Nethabiseng Majiya, scored a scrappy goal late on to allow South Africa to join Morocco as the only teams to win all three group stage games, but the injuries surely outweighed the victory heading into the quarterfinals.

Next up: Copa América Femenina – Group Stage, Rounds 1-2 | Skip to: Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – Quarterfinals