African Women's Championship

African Women's Championship
Founded 1991
Region Africa (CAF)
Number of teams 8
Current champions  Nigeria (9th title)
Most successful team(s)  Nigeria (9 titles)
2014 African Women's Championship

The African Women's Championship is an international women's football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was first contested in 1991, but was not held biennially until 1998. Nigeria is the most successful nation is the tournament's history, having won a record 9 titles, meaning they have won all but one of the previous tournaments. Cameroon will host the next championship in 2016.[1]

The competition has served as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup every other year since its inception in 1991. In 2006, the final round of the competition took place in Nigeria for the third time, replacing Gabon, which was initially granted the right to host but later pulled out citing financial difficulties.

History

In 2000, hosts South Africa met three-time champions Nigeria in the final game of the tournament. After Nigeria finished the first half ahead 1-0, Nigeria's Stella Mbachu scored a second goal in the 72nd minute and the home crowd realized there was no coming back. Supporters began hurling bottles and other debris at officials and Nigerian players. The match was abandoned after three attempts at restarts were all interrupted by further disturbances. Riot police began fighting battles with bottle-throwing supporters about 40 minutes after the goal had been allowed, throwing tear gas into the crowd to break up the disturbance. The game and the tournament were awarded to Nigeria.

Results

Year Host nation Final Semi Finals Losers
Winner Score Second Place
1991
Details		 home sites
Nigeria		 2 – 0
4 – 0
Cameroon
Guinea		 and
Zambia (withdrew)
1995
Details		 home sites
Nigeria		 4 – 1
7 – 1
South Africa
Angola		 and
Ghana
Year Host nation Final Third Place Match
Winner Score Second Place Third Place Score Fourth Place
1998
Details		  Nigeria
Nigeria		 2 – 0
Ghana
DR Congo		 3 – 3
(3 – 1)
penalties
Cameroon
2000
Details		  South Africa
Nigeria		 2 – 0
(abd 73')
South Africa
Ghana		 6 – 3
Zimbabwe
2002
Details		  Nigeria
Nigeria		 2 – 0
Ghana
Cameroon		 3 – 0
South Africa
2004
Details		  South Africa
Nigeria		 5 – 0
Cameroon
Ghana		 0 – 0
(6 – 5)
penalties
Ethiopia
2006
Details		  Nigeria
Nigeria		 1 – 0
Ghana
South Africa		 2 – 2
(5 – 4)
penalties
Cameroon
2008
Details		  Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea		 2 – 1
South Africa
Nigeria		 1 – 1
(5 – 4)
penalties
Cameroon
2010
Details		  South Africa
Nigeria		 4 – 2
Equatorial Guinea
South Africa		 2 – 0
Cameroon
2012
Details		  Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea		 4 – 0
South Africa
Cameroon		 1 – 0
Nigeria
2014
Details		  Namibia
Nigeria		 2 – 0
Cameroon
Ivory Coast		 1 – 0
South Africa
2016
Details		  Cameroon[2]

Note: abd - match abandoned

Statistics

Top scorers (Golden boot) by year

Player Country Year of Tournament Number of goals Ref
1998
Mercy Akide  Nigeria 2000 7 goals
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2002 4 goals [3]
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2004 9 goals
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2006 7 goals
Genoveva Añonma
Noko Matlou 		 Equatorial Guinea 2008 6 goals [4]
Perpetua Nkwocha  Nigeria 2010 11 goals
Genoveva Añonma  Equatorial Guinea 2012 6 goals
Desire Oparanozie  Nigeria 2014 5 goals

Best player (Golden ball) by year

Player Country Year of Tournament Ref
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
Genoveva Añonma  Equatorial Guinea 2008 [5]
Stella Mbachu  Nigeria 2010 [6]
2012
Azizat Oshoala  Nigeria 2014

Performance by nation

Team Winners Runners-up Third-place Fourth-place
 Nigeria 9 (1991, 1995, 1998*, 2000, 2002*, 2004, 2006*, 2010, 2014) – 1 (2008) 1 (2012)
 Equatorial Guinea 2 (2008*, 2012*) 1 (2010) – –
 South Africa – 4 (1995, 2000*, 2008, 2012) 2 (2006, 2010*) 2 (2002, 2014)
 Ghana – 3 (1998, 2002, 2006) 3 (1995**, 2000, 2004) –
 Cameroon – 3 (1991, 2004, 2014) 2 (2002, 2012) 4 (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
 Angola – – 1 (1995**) –
 DR Congo – – 1 (1998) –
 Guinea – – 1 (1991**) –
 Ivory Coast – – 1 (2014) –
 Ethiopia – – – 1 (2004)
 Zimbabwe – – – 1 (2000)
* hosts
** losing semifinals

Participating nations

Legend

  • 1st – Champions
  • 2nd – Runners-up
  • 3rd – Third place
  • 4th – Fourth place
  • SF – Losing semifinals
  • QF – Quarter-finals
  • GS – Group stage
  • q – Qualified
  •  •  — Did not qualify
  •  ×  — Withdrew
  •     — Hosts

Team 1991 1995 Nigeria
1998		 South Africa
2000		 Nigeria
2002		 South Africa
2004		 Nigeria
2006		 Equatorial Guinea
2008		 South Africa
2010		 Equatorial Guinea
2012		 Namibia
2014		 Cameroon
2016		 Years
 Algeria • GS GS • GS GS 4
 Angola SF GS • • 2
 Cameroon 2nd × 4th GS 3rd 2nd 4th 4th 4th 3rd 2nd q 11
 Congo × • • GS 1
 DR Congo 3rd × • × GS • • GS 3
 Ivory Coast • • • • GS 3rd 2
 Egypt GS • • × × • • 1
 Equatorial Guinea • • GS 1st 2nd 1st • 4
 Ethiopia GS 4th × • GS • 3
 Ghana QF SF 2nd 3rd 2nd 3rd 2nd GS GS • GS 10
 Guinea SF × • • • • • • 1
 Mali GS GS GS GS GS • • 5
 Morocco GS GS • • • • • • 2
 Mozambique GS • • × 1
 Namibia × • • • • GS 1
 Nigeria 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 3rd 1st 4th 1st 11
 Réunion GS 1
 Senegal × • • • • • GS • 1
 Sierra Leone QF × × • × 1
 South Africa 2nd GS 2nd 4th GS 3rd 2nd 3rd 2nd 4th 10
 Tanzania • • • • GS • • 1
 Tunisia GS • • • 1
 Uganda • GS • × × • 1
 Zambia × QF • • • • GS 2
 Zimbabwe × 4th GS GS × • • • 3
Total 4 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Most tournaments hosted

HostsNationYear(s)
3 times  Nigeria 1998, 2002, 2006
 South Africa 2000, 2004, 2010
2 times  Equatorial Guinea 2008, 2012
1 time  Cameroon 2016*
 Namibia 2014
* Not held yet

References

  1. ↑ "Football: Le Cameroun va abriter la CAN féminine 2016". cameroon-info.net. Christian Tchapmi. September 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ http://lions4life.com/?p=4405
  3. ↑ "2002 AWC". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Banyana striker crowned Woman Footballer of the Year". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "SA second Ref". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Africa Women Championship". Retrieved 26 October 2014.

External links