"We are going to compete but not to participate." - Faridah Bulega, 2018 AWCON cancellation because of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, CAF announced yesterday. And don't forget the alarming icon https://zambianfootball.co.zm/awcon...h-of-womens-champions-league-in-2021/zfadmin/ This is the first AWCON/African Championship to be cancelled. The hosting had some familiar problems earlier - the signs were that Nigeria would host, somewhat of a 'default' option. Qualifying games were postponed in March 2020. (Happiraphael, cc-by-sa) In itself, the decision is logical: Covid-19 has been present at a low rate in many African countries. But within CAF's announcement, it's tone-deaf – the men's AFCON isn't cancelled, it's postponed 12 months, and the secondary CHAN tournament is delayed to 2021. Maybe CAF is being more realistic about the women's than the men's. Planning any multi-national event now is fraught with danger. But it's a pity, as this AWCON was promising to be really good with an expanded finals (and 36 countries entered). Now it's gone until 2022, with only the smaller international championships and friendlies to fill the gap; especially important for Zambia, who've qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020-something.
Tempering the announcement slightly, there's also a possible 2021 women's Champions League for clubs. "The format and other details will be communicated in due course" exciting stuff. Including maybe some of those champions in the Africa women's football thread. Mascots at Nigeria's Champions Shield, 2018 (Timiabayomi, cc-by-sa)
Really cool to hear of another confed starting up a WoSo CL. With a CAF WCL and AFC's five-year expansion into an AFC WCL, that would just leave OFC and C'CAF without international club competition. ...man, now I'm thinking that C'CAF has a very good chance of being the last confed on board with a WCL. So much for the USA et al. being WoSo leaders...
⬤ Florence Omagbemi was a major mover in putting forward this CL proposal – the former Nigeria captain and coach: "Some Nigerian clubs...can now look forward to a continental challenge at the end of the year. The same thing goes to their counterparts in Ghana, Cameroun, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. It will also boost their financial status and strengthen the players for bigger challenges." - How Omagbemi mooted idea of Women’s CAF Champions League - (Guardian.ng / Archive) Surely this Champions League will start out a bit bigger than the women's Asian CL trial did (4 teams). There's certainly room for a larger tournament in Africa - it's good for the clubs if it can go ahead. Some leagues lead to bit of a dead-end atm, and most of the best players leave quickly. Money is one thing, but the fact that Nigeria and South Africa internationals see Belarus or Lithuania as better leagues to play in, is quite telling - European Champions League football is part of the reason. Really I'm not sure which African clubs would be favourites! But, if we want the International forum to unwisely emulate the threads in the BigSoccer FIFA forum, someone (I nominate me) needs to carry out a fake Champions League draw, and then whittle the contenders down to a single undisputed winner, using either in-depth football knowledge or a dice. Watch this space... These some recent champions: Sûreté Nationale FAR Rabat AS Mandé Adama City Rivers Angels Juventus Yopougon Hasaacas Ladies Louves MINPROFF (try making that into a chant) JKT Queens JVW FC (South Africa's champion club is named after Janine van Wyk!) But if I can't find a way to fix it so that Ghana's great team Soccer Intellectuals will win, then I'm not even sure what the point is! I did see this interesting post the other day... Posting date: October 2004 ...Well, these things take time. The same goes for Concacaf, I suppose. Er I'll get back to you
More reactions, from the southern African FAs The Zambian women's soccer chief Brenda Kunda sees the opportunity in international club competition - Zambia striker and captain Barbra Banda has recently transferred from Spain to the Chinese Super League: Kunda welcomes CAF Women’s Champions League - (Cosafa.com / Archive) As well as Zambia's Olympic qualifying success, the National Women's League was relaunched and the playoff champions were Green Buffaloes in March 2020, days before the national lockdown. South Africa's 2020 national champions are * Mamelodi Sundowns, with a 100% record - JVW FC were the 2nd-division champs. The South African FA's Natasha Tshichlas says, "This should encourage other teams to follow the footsteps of Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic, among others. Women football is the fastest growing sport on the globe and I am glad South Africa is tapping into that potential." - (Safa.net / Archive) Indeed - for South Africa's hosting of the Cosafa women's cup, the organization says, a lot depends on when the country can reopen its borders. https://www.farpost.co.za/destombes-remains-hopeful-of-hosting-cosafa-cup-in-2020/ The U20s may play their tournament in Lesotho, alongside a multi-sports games - of course it's in an enclave, so another border to cross.
One more correction: Ivory Coast's most successful team Juventus Yopougon lost their title to Onze Soeurs in 2018 and 2019. So, without further ado, here is ★ The Fake Champions League Draw *Not endorsed by CAF FAR Rabat (Morocco) - AS Mandé (Mali) Onze Soeurs (Côte d'Ivoire) - Sûreté Nationale (Algeria) Mamelodi Sundowns (S Africa) - Rivers Angels (Nigeria) Louves Minproff (Cameroon) - Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana) Ah! Eat your heart out, BigSoccer FIFA forum... Will this virtual tournament succeed? Who could possibly win it? Who will the dice favour? ⚂ ⚅ FIND OUT NOW! CLICK FOR THE GENUINE RESULTS (Move your mouse to reveal the content) FIND OUT NOW! CLICK FOR THE GENUINE RESULTS (open) FIND OUT NOW! CLICK FOR THE GENUINE RESULTS (close) Quarter-final FAR Rabat (Morocco) 6 - 3 AS Mandé (Mali) Onze Soeurs (Côte d'Ivoire) 6 - 5 Sûreté Nationale (Algeria) Mamelodi Sundowns (S Africa) 5 - 4 Rivers Angels (Nigeria) Louves Minproff (Cameroon) 6 - 4 Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana) ...not much defending going on in that round. OK, next: Semi-final Louves Minproff 5 - 6 Onze Soeurs FAR Rabat 4 - 2 Mamelodi Sundowns Final Onze Soeurs (Côte d'Ivoire) 6 - 5 FAR Rabat (Morocco) (...Well, it's still not as silly as "Esports".) If they want a bigger event (not very likely), the very good RSSSF page lists a lot of top clubs... El Tayaran Earth Angels OCL City UCU Lady Cardinals Vihiga Queens Black Rhinos Queens El Tayaran won Egypt's title from the longtime champs Wadi Degla. In Liberia, Earth Angels are the best team but only 3rd-best club name. A large country, DR Congo still has no national women's championship, but the 11th Coupe du Congo in 2019 was won by OCL City. In the neighbouring Congo (Brazzaville) there's a cup but they postponed the new league in 2020 with the pandemic. Also, as promised, a logical way to answer the burning question: "Concacaf or Oceania, who is better?"... I couldn't possibly say, but if they ever joined forces... ★ The Fake Concacaf/OFC Combined Champions League *Not endorsed by anyone NC Courage (USA) Tigres UANL (MEX) Ba F.C. (Fiji) Canterbury United Pride (NZL) Obviously this would need to start very small, because Canada's not pulling its weight, but it can be done... ...OH YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE IT... (Move your mouse to reveal the content) ...OH YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE IT... (open) ...OH YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE IT... (close) Semi-finals (at let's say, Aloha Stadium in Hawai'i) Tigres UANL (MEX) 5 - 3 Canterbury United Pride (NZL) Ba F.C. (Fiji) 6 - 1 NC Courage (USA) Final Tigres 2 - 2 Ba F.C. (Penalties: 5 - 5) (Extra penalties: 4 - 4) (Replay or something: 2 - 6)3rd place Canterbury 5 - 2 NC Courage (Look, blame the dice, OK?)
More news yesterday from Africa, the confederation makes a continental strategy for 2020 to 2023: Caf launches first-ever African strategy for women's football https://www.goal.com/en/news/caf-la...or-womens-football/1aofu6gyfwct21rxoll7050jy2 (Archive) One figure who is against the Champions League plan - former Nigeria women's team coach Godwin Izilien: https://guardian.ng/sport/african-womens-football-not-ripe-for-champions-league-says-izilien/ “I am surprised that CAF wants to start the women's version of CAF Champions League. At this level, CAF would have first looked for a way to help various African countries upgrade their women’s leagues. Before a competition at the level of CAF Champions League is organised, certain things should be put in place." - (Godwin Izilien, Guardian.ng)
⬤ Cup of Nations: Fifa criticized CAF for cancelling the women's tournament They certainly implied that they think it was only an excuse to use coronavirus as a reason to cancel it. https://football256.com/fifa-infantino-samoura-bemoan-cafs-decision-to-cancel-awcon-2020/ Fatma Samoura: “The 2020 AWCON has been cancelled simply because there is no World Cup next year and there will be one in 2023,” Samoura said. “This will mean that the girls who had shown their worth last year in France will only be privileged to play the qualifiers in four years [cycle]. That’s not possible. How do you expect an African nation to win the World Cup with such management?” But this goes back quite a lot further, with a power struggle last year (thanks to Nico for posting about it), in "FIFA to govern CAF affairs?" ⬤ In June, Fifa gave each national federation US$500,000 specifically for women's football, but Uganda's New Vision newspaper is sceptical about how much it will help: "Is FUFA putting women's FIFA cash to good use?" https://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1521835/fufa-putting-women-fifa-cash (Archive) "Last week FIFA released $1.5m or sh5.6b and again directed that a third of it was for the women. ... Imagine what that money can accomplish for the women's game if put to good use. Imagine what it could do for the two major women's leagues if [Uganda's] FUFA chose to invest part of it there." - (New Vision)
⬤ More about the cancellation: the fullest explanation is from the CAF women's director and head of the Sierra Leone FA. It's not only coronavirus that did it, but disagreements between potential hosts and their governments: Isha Johansen: Women’s football has a special place in CAF’s plans https://www.aipsmedia.com/index.html?page=artdetail&art=28345&CAFWomens-AFCONWomens-Football (Archive) ('The bottom of the ladder' is still a special place...) ⬤ Whether or not the CAF officials are trying their best or trying to fail, NONE of them have scored as many goals as Oshoala has, so here's her take: “Other competitions POSTPONED but AWCON 'CANCELLED', thank you once again for making us realize women’s football isn’t important to you,” she said. Oshoala: Just put her in charge (Steffen Prößdorf, cc-by-sa)