2022 Women’s Afcon: Ghana, Nigeria to square off in first round of qualifiers

Heavyweights Ghana and Nigeria have been paired to face off in the first round of the qualifiers to the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) slated for Morocco.

In a draw conducted at its headquarters in Cairo on Monday, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) adopted a new format by zoning participation based on its six regional bodies – CECAFA, COSAFA, UNAF, UNIFFAC, WAFU A and WAFU B.

Ghana, likewise Nigeria, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin were the six countries from the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B to have submitted their names to participate in the qualifiers.

Following the draw, the Black Queens are to play record African champions the Super Falcons over two legs in the first round.

The aggregate winner advances to face that of the clash between Niger and Cote d’Ivoire in the final round of the qualifying series.

The Black Queens and their Nigerian counterparts will slug it out over two legs between June 7 and 15.

The second and final round matches are also scheduled for October 18-29.

Eleven aggregate winners qualify from this stage to join hosts Morocco in the final tournament which will, for the first time ever, be competed by 12 teams.

The 2022 Women’s Afcon tournament – scheduled for the summer – will double as the African qualifiers to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The four countries that make the semifinals at Morocco 2022 will automatically qualify for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup while two more teams will earn slots to chase World Cup qualification via the inter-confederation play-offs.

The draw results:

First Round

M1 – Uganda v Ethiopia

M2 – Kenya v South Sudan

M3 – Eritrea v Burundi

M4 – Djibouti v Rwanda

M5 – Malawi v Zambia

M6 – Tanzania v Namibia

M7 – Zimbabwe v Eswatini

M8 – Angola v Botswana

M9 – Mozambique v South Africa

M10 – Algeria v Sudan

M11 – Egypt v Tunisia

M12 – Equatorial Guinea v DR Congo

M13 – Sao Tome and Principe v Togo

M14 – Congo v Gabon

M15 – Central African Republic v Cameroon

M16 – Sierra Leone v Gambia

M17 – Liberia v Senegal

M18 – Mali v Guinea

M19 – Guinea Bissau v Mauritania

M20 – Burkina Faso v Benin

M21 – Nigeria v Ghana

M22 – Niger v Cote d’Ivoire

Second Round

Winner M1 v Winner M2

Winner M3 v Winner M4

Winner M5 v Winner M6

Winner M7 v Winner M8

Winner M9 v Winner M10

Winner M11 v Winner M12

Winner M13 v Winner M14

Winner M15 v Winner M16

Winner M17 v Winner M18

Winner M19 v Winner M20

Winner M21 v Winner M22