Namibia 2014: Finalist Near Home Stretch With Preparations

[CAFOnline]

The finalists for the TN Mobile 9th African Women Championship Namibia 2014 are nearing home stretch in their preparations with barely three weeks to the opening match.

Hosts Namibia are in Group A with six-time winners, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia whilst Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and South Africa constitute Group B for the 11-25 October 2014 tournament.

The three top finishers at the tournament will represent the continent at the 2015 FIFA women’s World Cup in Canada.

ALGERIA

The Algerians are in the fourth phase of preparations for the tournament where 25 players are in camp at the National Technical Centre in Sidi-Moussa under the technical guidance of coach Azzedine Chih.

The team has been joined by foreign-based players notably Fayrouz Benyoub and Myriam Benlazar and (Toulouse), Nadia Benmokhtar and Lilas Traikia (Juvisy) and Sabrina Labiod (Muret) all based in France.

GHANA

The Black Queens are back in Ghana after a two-match training tour of Japan last week. The Ghanaians held the Japanese Olympic team 0-0 on 10 September 2014 before succumbing to a 5-0 loss three days later both in Yamagata. The Black Queens are back to the National Technical Centre in Prampram located on the outskirts of Accra to fine-tune for the tournament.

NIGERIA

Nigeria coach Edwin Okon has invited 30 players to camp in Abuja for the final tournament. The squad resumed camping on Sunday, 14 September 2014 in the Nigerian capital. Okon has included seven foreign-based players in his provisional squad including veterans, Perpetua Nkwocha, Stella Mbachu and Precious Dede. The 38-year old Nkwocha, a four-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year (2004, 2005, 2010, 2011) has been playing for the Super Falcons since 2000 and has participated in all but the maiden edition of the biennial championship in 1998. Goalkeeper Dede and offensive midfielder Mbacchu are also veterans of the continental women’s championship.

Besides Nkwocha who plays in Sweden for Sunnana SK, other foreign-players invited are Onome Ebi (FK Minsk, Belarus), Osinachi Ohale (Houston Dash, USA), Desire Oparanozie (Guingamp, France), Francisca Ordega (Pitea IFF, Sweden) and Esther Sunday (FK Minsk, Belarus).

Meanwhile, the Super Falcons defeated a local male team, Yahya Umaru Boys Academy 5-1 in a test game last Friday (19 September 2014) in Abuja. Gloria Iroka scored a brace whilst Asisat Oshoala, Halimatu Ayinde and Sunday Uchechi were also on target.

SOUTH AFRICA

The Banyana Banyana are scheduled to face Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly game on Wednesday, 24 September 2014 in Rustenburg.

The South Africans it will be recalled thumped Botswana 10-0 in a similar test at the same venue two weeks ago (13 September 2014).

Meanwhile, head coach Vera Pauw has dropped two players, Chantelle Esau and Tina Selepe, leaving her with 22 players for the last stage of preparations.

COTE D’IVOIRE

The Ivorians have landed in Johannesburg (South Africa) where they will be holding a training camp from Monday, 22 September 2014 to Tuesday, 7 October 2014.

Whilst in the rainbow nation, ‘Les Elephantes’ will play their South African counterparts in back-to-back friendly games on 24 September 2014 and three days later.

The West Africans will later play two games with Algeria, who are also due to hold a training camp in South Africa. They first game is on Tuesday, 30 September 2014 and with the second two days later (Thursday, 2 October 2014).