Group A Loaded: Hosts, hopefuls & heavy hitters set stage for WAFCON 2024 drama

The TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Morocco 2024 gets under way on Saturday as South Africa seek to defend the title they won in North Africa three years ago.

The 12 competing teams have been drawn into three groups each containing four sides, with the top two and the two best third-placed sides advancing to the quarterfinals.

SuperSport.com previews the chances of the four teams in Group A, which includes the expectant hosts.

MOROCCO
- COACH: Jorge Vilda (Spain)
- BEST FINISH: Runners-Up (2022)

HISTORY AT WAFCON: Morocco have seen a huge upswing in fortunes in recent years as the football association invests in women’s football. They appeared in the group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON in 1998 and 2000 but won just one of their six games and did not advance to the next round on each occasion. They did not qualify for the tournament again until they appeared as hosts in 2022 and went all the way to the final before a 2-1 defeat to South Africa. This will therefore be just their fourth ever appearance at the continental showpiece event.

KEY PLAYERS:

Khadija Er-Rmichi: The veteran goalkeeper has been a star performer for club and country over the last few years and helped AS FAR to the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League title. She will be key again.

Ghizlane Chebbak: The attacking midfielder has been a stalwart of the side since 2007 and brings a calmness to the team. She is the daughter of former Morocco international Larbi Chebbak.

Rosella Ayane: The England-born forward has played for the likes of Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and most recently Chicago Red Stars on loan. She is an accomplished finisher.

CHANCES: Morocco will expect to go one better than their silver medal last time, hoping to use home advantage to boost their chances. They have former Women’s World Cup winning Spain coach Jorge Vilda to guide them, and plenty of talent in the squad.

ZAMBIA
- COACH: Nora Häuptle (Switzerland)
- BEST FINISH: Third (2022)

HISTORY AT WAFCON: Zambia are another side who have seen their recent fortunes improve for the better, culminating in a third place finish in 2022 when they narrowly lost to South Africa in the semifinals. They reached the continental finals in 2014 but did not win a game and exited early, and then again in 2018 when their four points were not enough to advance. This will be their fourth appearance.

KEY PLAYERS:

Barbra Banda: The reigning CAF Women’s Football of the Year and among the best in the world, Banda excels at major finals and having missed out in 2022 when she did not play, will be desperate to lead her side to glory.

Racheal Kundananji: The most expensive player in women’s football history, Kundananji is an accomplished forward who plays for Bay FC in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States.

Grace Chanda: A teammate of Banda’s at Orlando Pride in the United States, Chanda is a creative midfielder who keeps the team on the front foot. She is the glue in the midfield.

CHANCES: Zambia will be hopeful of lifting the title and will certainly feel they have the players to do so. New Swiss coach Nora Häuptle will lead them in a first major finals and it will be fascinating to see the changes she makes to the side. Semifinals will be a minimum expectation.

SENEGAL
- COACH: Mame Moussa Cissé (Senegal)
- BEST FINISH: Quarterfinals (2022)

HISTORY AT WAFCON: Senegal will appear at only their third continental finals but did reach the last-8 in Morocco three years ago. They lost all three games without scoring a goal on debut in 2012, but got out of their group in 2022 before a narrow penalty shoot-out loss to Zambia in the quarterfinals following a 1-1 draw.

KEY PLAYERS:

Safietou Sagna: The veteran midfielder has been part of the national side for 14 years now and will bring all that experience to the team. She has spent the last few years playing her club football in France.

Ndeye Awa Diakhaté: Diakhaté is a versatile player who can feature on the wing or as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers. She plays her club football for Marseille in France and already has a goal at the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON having netted against Uganda in a 2-0 win in 2022.

Mama Diop: Forward Diop is another who has spent more than a decade in the national team and has been a prolific forward for Marseille in the French league.

CHANCES: Senegal will hope to at the very least be one of the best third-placed sides and book a quarterfinal place for the second finals running. They will find the going tough against Morocco and Zambia, so will need a win against DR Congo.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- COACH: Herve Happy (Cameroon)
- BEST FINISH: Third (1998)

HISTORY AT WAFCON: DR Congo make a return to the continental finals for the first time since 2012, when they exited in the group stage. They also went out in the first round in 2006, but their best showing was in the inaugural event in 1998 when they picked up the bronze medal. They lost to Ghana in the semifinals but then defeated Cameroon on penalties to take third following a 3-3 draw.

KEY PLAYERS:

Merveille Kanjinga: The star of the show for DR Congo, she has recently joined Paris St Germain having helped TP Mazembe to the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League title. The forward is a young player on the rise with much potential.

Marlène Kasaj: Kasaj is another from the successful TP Mazembe side having also previously played in Turkey. The attacking midfielder scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League final against AS FAR and was excellent throughout.

Fideline Ngoy: The goalkeeper is the national team captain and a vastly experienced player who also featured for TP Mazembe. They will rely heavily on her as the last line of defence against the quality attackers in this Group A.

CHANCES: DR Congo will be viewed as outsiders in the pool but with many of the side coming from that successful TP Mazembe team, there is a togetherness and an understanding. It would be no shock to see them reach the quarterfinals.