Botswana completes double over Tunisia

Botswana opened a six-point gap at the top of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group K with a 1-0 home win over Tunisia.

South Africa-based striker Jerome Ramatlhakwane scored the only goal of the match to ensure that the Zebras completed a double over the Tunisians after a similar result in their previous encounter in Tunis and also maintaining their unbeaten run in the qualifying series.

The DR. Congo have withdrawn their bid to host the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

DR Congo pulls out bid to host 2015, 2017 AFCON

Caf received the information to quit without reasons through a correspondence from the Central African state.

The latest development leaves northern African country Morocco and South Africa to battle for the right to stage the 30th and 31st editions of the continent’s football showpiece.

The Executive Committee of CAF will meet in the last weekend of January 2011 to announce the winners of the respective editions.

The three countries had submitted their applications prior to the September 30, 2010 deadline.

The hosting rights for the 30th and 31st editions of the continent’spremier event  will be determined by the CAF Executive Committee at a meeting to be decided at a later date next year.

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea will jointly host the 2012 edition while Libya hosts the tournament in 2013.

Nigeria beats E.Guinea to win African crown

Nigeria overpowered Equatorial Guinea by 4-2 scoreline to emerge winners of this year’s Africa Women Championships on Sunday.

The defending champions were hoping to defend the title they won two years ago as hosts but the Super Falcons proved too strong for them.

The feat thus cements Nigeria’s status as the most successful African female side having won six out of the seven editions of the tournament.

Nigeria’s Stella Mbachu was voted the overall best player of the tournament while veteran Perpetua Nkwocha won the golden boot award. She scored eleven goals in six games.

Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have both qualified to represent Africa at next year’s World Cup to be staged in Germany.

SA beats Cameroon to win bronze at AWC

South Africa were 2-0 victors over Cameroon to claim third place at the Africa Women Championships in Daveyton on Sunday.

Banyana Banyana were able to salvage some pride in their consolation match after a disappointing semi-final loss to Equatorial Guinea earlier in the week.

The tournament hosts were by far the better team throughout, with Cameroon looking like they didn’t really want to be playing any further part in the tournament after losing their semi-final.

Banyana scored early in the first half after Cameroon failed to deal with a free kick in the 8th minute.

Nthabeleng Modiko went for goal from the set-piece from just outside the box and her shot struck the crossbar.

The Cameroon defence didn’t clear the ball, and the cross was whipped in to Banyana winger Nocawe Skiti as she headed the ball into the back of the net for the opening goal of the game.

Cameroon’s frustration came to the fore in the 11th minute when the visitors’ keeper, Fouda Ndongo should have been sent off for a dangerous tackle on Banyana forward Leandra Smeda.

Ndongo came out of her box and flew into the tackle with her studs showing.The foul was given, yet Ndongo escaped without even a caution from the referee.

Cameroon’s first and only chance of the first half fell to Gaelle Enganamouit in the 25th minute when she made a good run down the middle and sent off a powerful strike that required a good save from Banyana keeper Thoko Mndaweni.

Banyana went 2-0 up in the 38th minute through another header, this time through Amanda Dlamini scoring when she found herself on the end of a good corner kick taken by Mamello Makhabane.

From the outset of the second half, Banyana continued to attack the Cameroon side and dominate the game, but failed to capitalise, on their superiority.

Speaking after the game, Banyana coach Augistine Makalakalane hailed the support the South African people had given the team: “I’m happy for the support the people came out and gave us, and the players stayed motivated.”

“I think my outstanding player has been the 21 players in the squad, they’ve played well and given their best.” added Makalakalane when asked to single out his best player.

Salimata Simpore drawing the attention of her marker

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have formally demanded a gender test be conducted on Equatorial Guinea star striker Salimata Simpore ahead of Sunday’s African Women’s Championship final in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ghana, the defending champion’s group opponents blamed their 3-1 loss to the usage of men by the Guineans – a complaint the Nigerians are not taking lightly.

“We have officially complained to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) about Salimata, the Equatorial Guinea no.8.

“We are challenging the gender of the player and want CAF to do a full test on the player to establish her gender,” said top NFF official, Mohammed Sanusi.

The gender of several players of defending champions Equatorial Guinea including skipper Genoveva Ayonmang, who was top scorer at the 2008 AWC, has continued to be a big talking point since the last tournament hosted and won by the oil-rich islanders.

However, Super Falcons assistant coach, Ann Chiejene, has insisted that the controversial Simpore will not stop Nigeria from reclaiming the trophy they lost two years ago.

“We have players in our team who will stop her,” said the former international goalkeeper.

Nigeria’s leading scorer at this year’s Africa Women Championships Perpetua Nkwocha has vowed to score five goals in Sunday’s final against defending champions Equatorial Guinea.

In-form Nkwocha threatens Equatorial Guinea

Nkwocha has scored ten goals already but the Sunnana SK striker says she needs five more to reach her target.

“I want to score five more goals in this competition,” Nkwocha told SuperSport.

“Before the tournament, one of my teammates told me that I will score fifteen goals. I have scored ten already so who says I can’t score another five?

“I will keep working hard in training and taking my chances when they come in the matches,” she said.

That may not be easy to achieve as the Equatorial Guineans have shipped in only four goals in their four games so far.

Defensive rock, Onome Ebi however beleives Nkwocha can break the water-tight defence of the champions.

“People said the same thing before we played against Cameroun but Perpetua destroyed them. I know what she can do and we will all be supporting her to score more goals,” she said.

Meanwhile, Falcons coach, Eucharia Uche has praised her star turn for putting up match winning performances in the team’s four games.

“Perpetua is a motivator. She has been doing what I asked her to do.

“As a very experienced player, she helps the others and I see her getting more goals,” she said

Salimata Simpore drawing the attention of her marker

Equatorial Guinea fought hard to break the resistance of hosts South Africa to qualify for the final of this year’s Africa Women Championships on Thursday.

The defending champions will now play Nigeria in Sunday’s grand finale after recording a 3-1 extra time win over the Banyana Banyana at the Sinaba Stadium.

The Super Falcons in the day’s first semi final clash trounced Cameroon 5-1 to keep alive their hopes of regaining the title to their now-final opponents when they hosted the tournament they lost last term.

Both teams also qualify for next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup in Germany, Equatorial Guinea for the first time.

In Thursday’s showdown, Salimata Simpore scored twice in extra time, with Banyana midfielder Siphiwe Dluldlu adding an own goal for good measure.

Amanda Dlamini scored a consolation goal in the dying minutes of extra time.

However, South Africa’s hopes of competing in the global championships for the first time next year were dashed by the title-holders who took control after neither side found the back of the net in regulation time.

Banyana wasted numerous clear-cut opportunities within the first 20 minutes.

With only the keeper to beat in the 13th minute, Dlamini sent a lame effort straight to Miriam Silva. Off the rebound, Dlamini chipped it wide.

Six minutes later Noko Matlou, the 2008 CAF women’s footballer of the year, did a tremendous job in dribbling two defenders, but she also fired her effort straight to Silva from the edge of the box.

Equatorial Guinea created a few early opportunities of their own, but also failed to capitalise.

Chinasa Okoro was gifted a chance when the ball landed at her feet at close range, but with only Thoko Mndaweni blocking her path, she tapped it directly to the Banyana goalkeeper.

In the dying minutes of the first half, Banyana midfielder Janine Van Wyk struck a superb free kick from 45 metres out which was tapped inches over the bar by Silva.

Seconds later, Silva pulled off another cracking save following a goalmouth melee from the resultant corner.

The keeper managed to hold a frenzy of Banyana strikers and the sides went into the break all square.

Already physical in the first half, both teams were even more aggressive after the break.

They pushed forward, with the game flowing well in both directions, but neither side capitalised on the counter-attack and Equatorial Guinea eventually gained control.

Mndaweni came to the rescue with a stunning save in the 72nd minute after further confusion in the area left Banyana’s defence flailing about.

Eight minutes later, Blessing Nnabugwu went charging in on a loose ball and crashed into Mndaweni, who did well to get her body in the way.

Nzalang Nacional continued to push ahead with wave after wave of relentless attack, but on the stroke of extra time Mamphasa Papela nearly bagged the winner.

Her shot from the edge of the area was parried around the post by Silva, stretching the game to extra time.

Earlier, Nigeria’s star striker Perpetua Nkwocha fired home her second hat-trick of the tournament after Desire Oparanozie scored a brace in the first half against Cameroon.

This took Nkwocha’s tally to 10 goals in the 2010 competition, up one on the record nine goals she scored in the 2004 championship, which was also held in South Africa.

Five-time winners of the continental championship, Nigeria have now qualified for all six championships.

E.Guinea dumps Ghana out of AWC, Cameroon also through

Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon sealed their place in the last four of the ongoing Africa Women Championship in South Africa with victories over Ghana and Algeria respectively.

The defending champions recorded a well-deserved 3-1 victory over Ghana (who have definitely relinquished their usual tag of Africa’s second force behind Nigeria) while Cameroon accounted for Algeria in the other Group Game.

The game was brought to life in the second half after the first has ended one-all – all goals from the penalty spot.

Equatorial Guinea restored their lead in the 58th minute when Salimata fired home with a powerful shot from 20 yards.

Okaro, left unmarked, headed in the third goal inside the box after the back line failed to clear a pass to seal the deal for the Guineans.

Monday’s results see’s the Nzalang Nacional claim top-spot and crucially avoid a semi-final match-up against in-form Nigeria – Cameroon would instead take on the Super Falcons.

Ghana loose to Cameroon as defending champs win

Ghana dropped to third in Group B after succumbing to a 2-1 loss to Cameroon while defending champions Equatorial Guinea managed a 1-0 win over Algeria on Friday.

The Black Queens however started on the bright note and were duly rewarded with a 25th minute goal through Agnes Aduako.

The Indomitable Lionesses pulled the game level from a perfectly placed 30 th minute spot kick before Eganamoiut deflected a wayward shot into the net for the match winner in the 37th minute.

The results thus means Algeria will go out of the competition even if they end up thrashing Cameroon in their final group game while Ghana and Equatorial Guinea would have to battle it out for the other qualification slot.