By Harry Awurumibe
The new qualification format for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)
introduced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has thrown up a new power-house in women’s football in Africa as three countries from the Southern Africa sub-regional football association, COSAFA will for the first time play in the second round of WAFCON, the biannual biggest women’s football tournament in Africa.
Regular WAFCON campaigners, South Africa; Zambia and debutants, Botswana made it out of the group stage and will play in the quarter final stage of the on-going 12th WAFCON in Morocco which kicks off on Wednesday.
The West African sub-region, WAFU which has for many years produced African champions, Nigeria and regular runners-up, Ghana, has since been further split into WAFU A and WAFU B now being represented in the quarter final stage by Senegal (WAFU A) and Nigeria (WAFU B).
Also, North African sub-regional football association, UNAF has two representatives in the quarter final stage namely host nation, Morocco and Tunisia while the Central Africa football association UNIFFAC is being representated by Cameroon in the eight-team quarter final stage.
A closer look at the new CAF format of qualifying for 2022 WAFCON showed that strong nations like Ghana, Ivory Coach, Mali and Guinea failed to qualify for the competition this time around as Nigeria eliminated the duo of Ghana and Ivory Coast to book the ticket for Morocco 2022.
However, it is left to be seen if a COSAFA country will lift the trophy in Morocco or a North African or win it for the first time.
