Women’s AFCON: Super Falcons Draw S’Africa, Zambia, Kenya   

By Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria’s Super Falcons who are defending champions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations have been drawn with South Africa, Zambia and Kenya in Group B of the 2018 edition scheduled to hold next month in Ghana.

Falcons will begin the defence of the trophy they won in Cameroon next month in Cape Coast.

In the Draw conducted at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra last night, the host country Ghana was paired along with Cameroon, Algeria and Mali in Group A.

Both Nigeria and Ghana were the top seeds at the draw ceremony conducted by CAF’s Deputy Secretary General, Anthony         Baffoe and a host of former Black Queens players including Adjoa Bayor and Memunatu Sulemana.

The final tournament is scheduled for the Ghanaian cities of Accra and Cape Coast from 17 November to 1 December 2018. The top three finishers will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2018.

Before the Draw, Zambia had planed to set up training camp in Nigeria and were in the process of arranging friendlies with some top Nigerian female teams in the Nigerian Women’s Football League.

Meanwhile, the Super Falcons star, Asisat Oshoala and her teammates retained the Chinese Women Super League title at the weekend.

Oshoala starred as her Dalian Quanjian side retained the Chinese Women Super League title after a 0-0 draw with Jiangsu Suning Dalian Sports Center, Liaoning on Saturday.

Prior to the encounter, the champions needed a draw, while their second-placed visitors, who have Malawian Tabitha Chawinga in their books, were chasing a win to close the gap with the hosts.

On the match day, both sides were impressive with a fair share of chances in the desperate battle to claim the diadem, the hosts held their nerve to avoid a home defeat.

After the stalemate, Dalian now have 32 points – four above Jiangsu on 28 to officially emerge as the Chinese women’s topflight league champions with a game to spare.

The former Arsenal Ladies contributed ten goals this season to help Dalian to a title win and also make a huge statement for 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Ghana.

And the reigning African Women’s Player of the Year, has taken to social media to celebrate her back-to-back league title success in China.

Having emerged 2018 champions, Oshoala and Dalian would wrap up their league campaign against third-placed Changchun in a dead rubber encounter on October 27, 2018.