2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup

Last updated
2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup
2023 UFOA Zona A Copa Feminina
Tournament details
Host countryFlag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
City Espargos
Dates20 January – 1 February 2023
Teams7 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of Senegal.svg  Senegal (2nd title)
Runners-upFlag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
Third placeFlag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
Fourth placeFlag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
Tournament statistics
Matches played13
Goals scored44 (3.38 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of Senegal.svg Hapsatou Malado Diallo
(9 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of Cape Verde.svg Ivânia Moreira
Best goalkeeper Flag of Senegal.svg Tening Séné
Fair play awardFlag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
← 2020

The 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup was the second edition of the WAFU Zone A Women's Cup, an international women's football tournament contested by the women's national association football teams of West Africa zone A organized by the West African Football Union (WAFU). The tournament was hosted by Cape Verde and took place from 20 to 29 January 2023; [1] [2] it was the first major WAFU A tournament to be hosted in Cape Verde. The opening match was contested between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau at Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos, Sal Island on 20 January 2023. The final took place on 29 January 2023 at Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos.

Contents

Senegal is the defending champions, having won the previous tournament. and they successfully defended their title beating hosts Cape Verde 1–0 with a penalty kick scored by Senegalese captain Korka Fall. [3] [4] [5]

Participating nations

The WAFU Zone A initially announced on 5 January 2023 that 9 countries would participate in the tournament, a record number with all WAFU Zone A members association sending teams. Mauritania marked their debut in the tournament after its absence from the 2020 edition. [6]

On 10 January 2022, Liberia confirmed its non-participation in the tournament citing a lack of funding from the government, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 8. [7] Two days prior to the tournament start Mali's sports minister confirmed that its country won't be able to participate in the 2nd edition of the tournament citing funding issues as the main reason for their withdrawal. [8]

TeamAppearancePrevious best performance FIFA ranking
December 2022
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde 2ndFourth Place (2020)
NR
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 2ndGroup Stage (2020)
123
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 2ndGroup Stage (2020)
136
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 2ndGroup Stage (2020)
171
Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania 1st—
NR
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 2ndChampions (2020)
84
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 2ndGroup Stage (2020)
138
Did not enter

Venues

After the successful hosting of the 2021 CAF Women's Champions League WAFU A Qualifiers in Mindelo and the 2023 WAFU Zone A Schools Football Championship in Santa Cruz, the Cape Verdean Football Federation announced that this time it would host the tournament in Sal. the FCF selected the biggest stadium in Sal to host the tournament.

Sal Island
Cape Verde location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Sal
2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup (Cape Verde)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão
Capacity: 8,000
Marcelo leitao.jpg

Officials

these officials were appointed by WAFU A to officiate the tournament.

Referees
Assistant referees

Draw

The draw for the final tournament was held on 19 January 2023, on the island of Sal. the 7 teams were drawn into two groups one with four teams with the other group with three teams. [9]

the seven teams were allocated into two pots based on the FIFA Women's World Rankings of 9 December 2022. Pot 1 contained hosts Cape Verde (who were automatically assigned to position A1) and Senegal (who were automatically assigned to position B1). Pot 2 contained the rest of the teams.

From the December 2022 FIFA World Rankings [10]
Pot 1Pot 2

Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde (NR) (hosts)
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal (84) (title holders)

Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia (123)
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea (136)
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone (138)
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau (171)
Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania (NR)

Squads

Each team was required by WAFU-UFOA to name a squad of a minimum of 20 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers).

Group stage

Teams in each group will play one another in a round-robin, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage.

Tiebreakers

Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 71):[ citation needed ]

  1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
  4. If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
  5. Goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Drawing of lots.

All times are in CVT (UTC-1).

Group A

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde (H)2200100+106 Knockout stage
2Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 210114−33
3Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania 200207−70
First match(es) will be played: 20 January 2023. Source: WAFU A
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Cape Verde  Flag of Cape Verde.svg4–0Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
Report (FCF)
Report (CAF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Ngum Fatou (Gambia)
Guinea-Bissau  Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg1–0Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania
Paulo Mendes Soccerball shade.svg55' Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Maimouna Danfakha (Senegal)
Mauritania  Flag of Mauritania.svg0–6Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Ngum Fatou (Gambia)

Group B

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 3300121+119 Knockout stage
2Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 320165+16
3Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 310215−43
4Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 300319−80
First match(es) will be played: 20 January 2023. Source: WAFU A
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg4–0Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg1–4Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
Kabba Soccerball shade.svg62' Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A) 		Jatta Soccerball shade.svg2', 20', 56', 72'
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Sylvina Garnett (Liberia)
Guinea  Flag of Guinea.svg1–0Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
Diallo Soccerball shade.svg86' Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Yacine Samassa (Mauritania)
Gambia  Flag of The Gambia.svg1–4Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Jatta Soccerball shade.svg45+3' (pen.) Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A) 		Diallo Soccerball shade.svg2', 49', 71', 83'
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Sylvina Garnett (Liberia)
Guinea  Flag of Guinea.svg0–1Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A) 		Jatta Soccerball shade.svg75'
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Sierra Leone  Flag of Sierra Leone.svg0–4Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Yacine Samassa (Mauritania)

Knockout stage

 
 Semi-finals Final
 
      
 
27 January – Estádio Marcelo Leitão
 
 
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde 2
 
29 January – Estádio Marcelo Leitão
 
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 1
 
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde 0
 
27 January – Estádio Marcelo Leitão
 
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 1
 
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 4
 
 
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 0
 
 Third Place
 
 
29 January – Estádio Marcelo Leitão
 
 
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 3
 
 
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 2

Semi-finals

Cape Verde  Flag of Cape Verde.svg2–1Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A) 		Jatta Soccerball shade.svg66'
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg4–0Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Aissata Diarra (Mali)

Third-place match

Gambia  Flag of The Gambia.svg3–2Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos

Final

Cape Verde  Flag of Cape Verde.svg0–1Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Report (FCF)
Report (WAFU A)
Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Espargos
Referee: Sylvina Garnett (Liberia)

Statistics

Goalscorers

There were 44 goals scored in 13 matches, for an average of 3.38 goals per match.

9 goals

7 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Discipline

A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:

The following suspensions were served during the tournament:

PlayerOffence(s)Suspension
Flag of Mauritania.svg Funmilayo Adiara Adebisi Yellow card.svg Yellow-red card.svg in Group A vs Guinea-Bissau (matchday 2; 22 January) Group A vs Cape Verde (matchday 3; 24 January)

Final ranking

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsFinal result
1Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 5500171+1615Champions
2Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde 4301122+109Runners-up
3Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 5302109+19Third place
4Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 4103311−83Fourth place
5Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 310215−43Eliminated in
group stage
6Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania 200207−70
7Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 300319−80
Source: [ WAFU A]

Controversies

Liberia withdrawal

Liberia's withdrawal from the competition after initially confirming its participation sparked high criticism among Liberians at home, especially Liberia women's National team players who showed a huge disappointment in the government and in the Liberian Football Association. Liberia's women's team's former captain Bantu Jestina Wilson stated that she felt frustrated and disappointed and that there was no lack of funding because the Ministry of youth and sports never supported the team or the women's football in the first place.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Cape Verde hosts Union of West African Federations Cup". platinumnewsng.com. 16 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Sal to host WAFU-A Women's Championship". zoneouesta.org. 5 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Tournoi UFOA A (F) : Deux sur deux pour le Sénégal". africafootunited.com (in French). Sédric Maurace ASSOGBA. 30 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "WAFU/A Tournament: The Lionesses defeat Cape Verde in the final and snatch the trophy with panache". wiwsport.com (in French). 29 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "WAFU-A Tournament (W): Sacred Senegal". sportnewsafrica.com (in French). 29 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "Cape Verde once again receives a test from UFOA zone A". fcf.cv (in Portuguese). 3 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Liberia Will Not Officially Participate in the 2023 WAFU Women's Tournament". liberianobserver.com. 5 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "UFOA A (W): Mali will not participate". sportnewsafrica.com (in French). 5 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "WAFU women's football: The tournament schedule is now known!". zoneouesta.org (in French). WAFU A. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "FIFA Women's World Rankings". FIFA. 9 December 2022.
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