"Year in review: African football"

" Year in review: African football \r\n\r\n African football can look back with satisfaction at 2023, notably the improvement in the women\u2019s game after the heroics for the men at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. \r\n\r\n This time last year the continent was buzzing with pride after Morocco became the first African side to reach the men\u2019s World Cup semifinal and six months later it was the turn of the women ro set new standards Down Under. \r\n\r\n The 2023 Women\u2019s World Cup saw three of Africa\u2019s four representatives advance past the first round, including a first ever for a South African side at a World Cup. \r\n\r\n Nigeria and debutants Morocco also advanced, with Morocco\u2019s achievement a particular boost for women\u2019s football in the Arabic-speaking north of the continent where traditional attitudes to women in sport have been positively broken down. \r\n\r\n Morocco lost 6-0 in their first game to Germany, yet bounced back to upset both South Korea and Colombia while the hotly fancied Germans did not make it out of the first stage for the first time in the illustrious history in the women\u2019s game. \r\n\r\n Nigeria finished ahead of highly fancied Canada in Group B to also go through and South Africa Thembi Kgatlana scored a dramatic stoppage time winner to see Banyana Banyana to a 3-2 triumph over Italy in Wellington in their last Group G game and also book a berth in the second round. \r\n\r\n Zambia made a valiant effort in Group C and after losing 5-0 to both Japan and eventual winners Spain, redeemed themselves with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica in their last group game. \r\n\r\n In the knockout round, the trio of African sides all lost although Nigeria only on post-match penalties after a goalless draw with England, who went onto the final. South Africa were beaten by the Netherlands while Morocco lost to France. \r\n\r\n Also in the women\u2019s game, a third edition of the African Champions League was hosted in the Ivory Coast where Mamelodi Sundowns reclaimed their continental crown after losing out in 2022 to Morocco\u2019s Royal Armed Forces. \r\n\r\n This time Sundowns beat SC Casablanca 3-0 in the final in Korhogo to take back the crown they took in 2021. \r\n\r\n In men\u2019s club football, Al Ahly won the Champions League to extend their dominance of the club game. It was their 11th title and came as the final returned to a two-legged affair after the previous three had been played as a single mach. \r\n\r\n Al Ahly won the first leg 2-1 in Cairo over Morocco\u2019s Wydad Casablanca with goals from Percy Tau and Mahmoud Kahraba before a potentially vital away goal for Saifeddine Bouhra. It meant Wydad needed only a 1-0 win in the return at the Mohamed V Stadium and were in a prime position when flying fullback Yahia Attiyat Allah put them ahead before the 30-minute mark. \r\n\r\n But Ahly equalised 12 minutes from time through Mohamed Abdelmonem to take the title 3-2 on aggregate. It was their third title in five years with Wydad taking the other two. \r\n\r\n USM Alger won the African Confederation Cup, winning away in Dar-es-Salaam in the first leg against Young Africans of Tanzania but losing at home in the return but still emerging victors on the away goals rule. \r\n\r\n USM Alger upset Al Ahly to win the Super Cup, which was hosted in Taif, Saudi Arabia while Al Ahly returned to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Club World Cup this month where they finished third. \r\n\r\n Qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations was concluded, although extended through to September when the Confederation of African Football moved dates. September\u2019s deadly earthquake in Morocco saw their last game against Liberia moved to October, which was the last qualifier to be concluded for the finals in the Ivory Coast, which kickoff on January 13. \r\n\r\n The field for the finals did not include any newcomers this time round and there were no notable teams who missed out in the qualifying process. Half of the 24 qualified teams have won the Cup of Nations previously, including South Africa. \r\n\r\n World Cup qualification for the 2026 finals in North America got underway in November with some shock results including Ghana losing in the Comoros, Lesotho holding Nigeria to an away draw and Bafana losing in the rain in Rwanda. \r\n\r\n Victor Osimhen was named African footballer of the Year after finishing top scorer in Serie A and taking Napoli to a first Scuddeto in three decades. He is the first Nigerian winner since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999. \r\n\r\n "

"Year in review: African football"

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