The 14th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Morocco from July 2 to July 23, 2022, and Nigeria are huge favourites to win the ultimate at the end of the tournament.
Nigeria are record winners of the tournament with 11 titles and have won the last three editions in 2014, 2016 and 2018 as the 2020 edition didn’t take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s edition of the biggest women’s football competition in Africa will have 12 teams, the first-ever time this is happening.
With Nigeria already the favourites, the second successful side in Equatorial Guinea didn’t qualify for the tournament and this article is looking at other countries who could possibly challenge the Super Falcons for the trophy.
South Africa’s Banyana Banyana are one of the top teams to participate in the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and are also tipped to be one of the teams that could beat Nigeria to win the ultimate in the end.
South Africa recorded a win over Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the group stage of the last tournament which was held in Ghana but lost on penalties to them in a keenly contested final at the Accra Sports Stadium in 2018.
That gave them the ticket to make their very first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 hosted by France.
The Banyana Banyana have since been progressing steadily and are poised to oust Nigeria to become the new Africa Women’s champions by clinching the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next month.
After finishing as runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2018, South Africa have gone ahead to win the 2019 and 2020 COSAFA Women’s Championship and the fourth place in 2021.
Notwithstanding the recent development of the South African team, they are the 3rd force in the African women’s football history having reached the finals of the African Cup five times 1995, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
They have also won the bronze medal on two occasions in 2006 and 2010 and runners-up of the All African Games two times in 2003 and 2007.