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African teams reduce to 0% at FIFA Women’s world cup last 8 fixtures

THE three African sides – South Africa, Nigeria and Morroco –  that qualified from the group stage of the ongoing FIFA women’s world cup to the last 16 fixtures have been knocked out of the tournament.

The ICIR reported after the conclusion of the group stage that 75 per cent of African countries progressed to the next round after amassing the required points to qualify from their groups.

The African representatives that qualified for the last 16 fixtures were Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco, making history as the first time 3 African sides would qualify for the round of 16.

However, after playing against their respective opponents in the knockout stage, the three of them failed to progress to the quarter-finals.

Results of the round of 16 fixtures saw South Africa lose 0-2 to the Netherlands, Nigeria crashed out after a penalty shootout, 2-4 against England while France eased past Morocco, 4-0.

The walloping defeats to the African sides reduced the percentage from 75 per cent in round 16 to zero per cent in round 8.

Nigeria is the only African country that has reached the quarter-finals.

The ICIR analysed the performances of the four African sides that featured at the 2023 FIFA Women’s world cup.

Out of the four matches that Nigeria played, it won only one and drew three others while Morocco lost two and won two.

South Africa won one, drew one and lost two while Zambia lost two and won one. The four African sides had a total of 14 goals and conceded 29 goals in the tournament.

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Also, the African sides recorded 5 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses.

Out of the four African sides, Nigeria recorded 3 goals, and conceded 2, leaving it with a goal difference in all the four matches it played, while Morocco scored only 2 goals and conceded 8 goals, leaving the tournament with minus 6 goals difference.

South Africa, out of the four matches it played, recorded 6 goals and conceded 8 goals, finishing the tournament with a minus two goals difference, while Zambia, which played three matches, recorded 3 goals and conceded 11 goals, ending the tournament with minus 8 goals difference.




     

     

    This means that Nigeria is the only African country that boasts of ending the tournament recording a goal positive while the other three countries ended with a negative goals difference.

    Commenting on the exit of African countries from the tournament, an Ondo state-based sports journalist, Isaac Afolabi, commended their efforts.

    “For me, I believe football has taken another dimension in Africa with the introduction of Morocco and Zambia, and this year’s outing is not bad at all when you compare the level of investment and attention given to women’s football in Europe with Africa,” he said.

    However, he advised the football continental body in Africa, the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to improve women’s football competition in Africa, saying that it would help them compete effectively on the global stage.

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