2022 Women’s AFCON : Crucial Turning Point

For the first time in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), 12 nations were on board in Morocco within the framework of the 2022 edition of the competition to tussle for the coveted trophy. At the start of this competition, many may have wondered whether the women’s showpiece would be worth the efforts. But at the end, the tournament set new records in female football in terms of the quality of football, crowd attendance and increased remuneration for the tournament’s participating teams.
First, the 12 teams were able to bring to the field players that have what it takes to produce high level football. Even in the unwanted absence of renowned players like Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria, Barbra Banda of Zambia and Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa, the competition still produced the fiesta that it should. The likes of Ghizlane Chebbak of Morocco, Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria, Monique Ngock of Cameroon, Jermaine Seoposenwe of South Africa just to mention but a few, only shows that Africa has a huge data base of players that it can count on. Their performances in the showpiece may equally push for more investment that will lead to better training and better salaries. The presence of players with such level of talent made the tournament very competitive with teams showing that appreciable groundwork has been done at the local levels. Newcomers like Togo that held Cameroon to a 1-1 draw is a typical example to show that all teams came with the determination to win. The fact that South Africa could break Nigeria’s monopoly of the trophy also depicts that the ball is rolling. In the same light, seeing a team like Morocco in the final tells of the progress that has been covered so far.
Again, the mobilisation of fans in the stadiums equally conveys the interest populations are developing towards female football. Even though, all the matc...