Wafcon 2024: Nigeria, Cape Verde clash as second round field completes

By

Harry Awurumibe

As earlier predicted, Cape Verde has been confirmed as Nigeria’s next opponent's predicted round of the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2024 qualifiers after the first-round matches have been concluded.

This is even as the second round of the WAFCON qualifiers’ field has been completed with the conclusion of the first round matches across the African continent on Tuesday with the elimination of Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire being the biggest upsets of the 2024 edition of the biggest women’s football competition in Africa.

The islanders, as Cape Verde is known, narrowly avoided elimination after holding a three goals advantage courtesy of 3-0 victory over Liberia last week with a brace by Moreira (15′, 90+5′) and a goal by Pereira (53′) at Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, but will be in the draw.

Nigeria will now host Cape Verde in the next round at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium Onikan Lagos at a later date to be determined by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Elsewhere, Cameroon, four-time finalists of the WAFCON, will not play in next year’s tournament in Morocco after being eliminated by Kenya on Tuesday just as Cote d’Ivoire

will also not be among the nations to play the tournament after they were also eliminated in the first round of qualifiers following the second leg matches. The Indomitable Lionesses lost on penalties to Kenya while Cote d’Ivoire suffered a similar fate in their match against Tanzania.