Africa Women Cup of Nations

Africa Women Cup of Nations

Founded	1991
Region	Africa (CAF)
Number of teams	8
Current champions	Nigeria (10th title)
Most successful team(s)	Nigeria (10 titles)
2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations

The Africa Women Cup of Nations (known as the African Women's Championship until 2015) 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 two 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 tournament since its inception in 1991.

On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Women's Championship to the Africa Women Cup of Nations, similar to the men's version, Africa Cup of Nations.^[2]

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)	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[3]		Nigeria	1 – 0	Cameroon		Ghana	1 – 0	South Africa
2018 Details	Ghana

Note: abd – match abandoned in the 73rd minute

Statistics

Performance by nation

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place
Nigeria	10 (1991, 1995, 1998*, 2000, 2002*, 2004, 2006*, 2010, 2014, 2016)	–	1 (2008)	1 (2012)
Equatorial Guinea	2 (2008*, 2012*)	1 (2010)	–	–
South Africa	–	4 (1995, 2000*, 2008, 2012)	2 (2006, 2010*)	3 (2002, 2014, 2016)
Ghana	–	3 (1998, 2002, 2006)	3 (2000, 2004, 2016)	–
Cameroon	–	4 (1991, 2004, 2014, 2016)	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

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	[4]
Perpetua Nkwocha	Nigeria	2004	9 goals
Perpetua Nkwocha	Nigeria	2006	7 goals
Genoveva Añonma Noko Matlou	Equatorial Guinea	2008	6 goals	[5]
Perpetua Nkwocha	Nigeria	2010	11 goals
Genoveva Añonma	Equatorial Guinea	2012	6 goals
Desire Oparanozie	Nigeria	2014	5 goals
Azizat Oshoala	Nigeria	2016	6 goals

Best player (Golden ball) by year

Player	Country	Year of Tournament	Ref
		1998
		2000
		2002
Perpetua Nkwocha	Nigeria	2004	[6]
Portia Modise	South Africa	2006	[7]
Genoveva Añonma	Equatorial Guinea	2008	[8]
Stella Mbachu	Nigeria	2010	[9]
		2012
Asisat Oshoala	Nigeria	2014

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	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	2008	2010	2012	2014	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
Egypt			GS	•			•	×	×	•	•	q	2
Equatorial Guinea					•	•	GS	1st	2nd	1st	•	•	5
Ethiopia					GS	4th	×		•	GS	•	•	3
Ghana	QF	SF	2nd	3rd	2nd	3rd	2nd	GS	GS	•	GS	q	11
Guinea	SF	×	•			•	•	•	•	•		•	1
Ivory Coast					•		•	•	•	GS	3rd	•	2
Kenya			x	x			•		x	x	•	q	1
Mali					GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	•	•	q	5
Morocco			GS	GS	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	2
Mozambique			GS				•			•	×		1
Namibia			×				•	•	•	•	GS	•	1
Nigeria	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	3rd	1st	4th	1st	1st	12
Réunion				GS									1
Senegal	×				•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	1
Sierra Leone		QF	×	×					•		×		1
South Africa		2nd	GS	2nd	4th	GS	3rd	2nd	3rd	2nd	4th	q	11
Tanzania					•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	1
Tunisia								GS	•	•	•	•	1
Uganda			•	GS	•	×	×			•			1
Zambia	×	QF			•		•	•		•	GS	•	2
Zimbabwe	×			4th	GS	GS	×	•		•	•	q	4
Total	4	6	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8	8

Most tournaments hosted

Hosts	Nation	Year(s)
3 times	Nigeria	1998, 2002, 2006
	South Africa	2000, 2004, 2010
2 times	Equatorial Guinea	2008, 2012
1 time	Cameroon	2016
	Namibia	2014

References

1. "Football: Le Cameroun va abriter la CAN féminine 2016". cameroon-info.net. Christian Tchapmi. September 24, 2013.
2. "Decisions of CAF Executive Committee on 6 August 2015". CAF. 9 August 2015.
3. http://lions4life.com/?p=4405
4. "2002 AWC". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
5. "Banyana striker crowned Woman Footballer of the Year". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
6. "Star bio: Nigeria's Perpetua Nkwocha". Retrieved 15 June 2011.
7. "Portia Modise: Centurion in numbers". Retrieved 20 October 2014.
8. "SA second Ref". Retrieved 26 October 2014.
9. "Africa Women Championship". Retrieved 26 October 2014.

External links

• CAF website
• Africa – Women's Championship