MEET THE FOUR SEMI-FINALISTS

Can Nigeria's Falcons maintain its total dominance as African Champions in the round leather game for women? From all indications and statiistics eminating from Warri, in Delta the girls looks unstopapple, Nigeriasports.com Chigozie Chukwuletta previews all the teams in the Semi-final.

NIGERIA(SUPER FALCONS)

The giants in the continent, Nigeria's total dominance finds no parallel. Before 1999, when FIFA rewarded Africa with two slots at the World Cup, the Super Falcons were the continent's sole flag-bearers,filing out at China 91 and Sweden 95 World Cup.Rita Nwadike,who scored the country's first World Cup goal was to later lead the country to win the 8th All Africa Games gold medal.

In 1999, the Super Falcons became the only country in Africa to reach the quarter-final stage of the World Cup and unluckily lost to Brazil via a Sissi's golden goal. It was a historic game of two halves, with Brazil scoring all three goals in the first half and Nigeria replying in the second.
When the African Women Championship began in 1998, Nigeria left the continent without any doubt about it's absolute reign.

The Super Falcons, captained by the legendary Florence Omagbemi, scored a record 28 goals without conceeding any enroute to it's comprehensive triumph. In an epic final played in Abeokuta, the girls of Coach Ismaila Mabo defeated the Black Queens of Ghana 2-0, the goals coming from Africa's queen of goals,Mercy Akide and Stella Mbachu. Akide hit target 7 times in the Championship while Nkiru Okosieme was on song 5 times( all with the head ,to earn the nickname Headmistress).

Two years later,in South Africa, Nigeria defeated Banyana Banyana 2-0 in the final. The Super Falcons were held to a two-all draw by Ghana in the group game and that was the only blemish on their record.Stella Mbachu got the marching orders on the 74th minute in that eventful match.
The final match was aborted in the 75th minute due to crowd trouble. In a group match, Nigeria defeated Cameroun 3-0 with goals from Akide, Olaitan Yusuf and Maureen Madu and that sent the Lionesses back home as they failed to qualify past the group stage.Fatou Gaye, who officiated the 5th edition opening match,was the centre referee.

The 2002 edition hosted on home soil was remarkable not just because the Super Falcons retained the Women Nations Cup trophy,but also because the team's invincibility was shattered by Ghana's Black Queens who piped them 1-0,courtesy of Alberta Sackey's goal in the group game. Coach Sam Okpodu who was in charge had to draw from his experience to get the girls back to winning ways.

Nigeria eventually met Ghana again in the final and goals from Perpetua Nkwocha and Efioanwam Ekpo settled matters and sparked off endless celebrations across the country.Nigeria and Ghana represented Africa at the 2003 World Cup in USA.

In 2004, the Super Falcons had to overcome the threat of the Indomitable Lionesses in the final after the Camerounians had sensationally forced Coach Godwin Izilein and his girls to a two-all draw in one of the groups games.Nigeria were thus crowned the first winner of the new CAF trophy. Besides, Perpetua Nkwocha etched her name in gold, winning the Most Valuable Player and Highest Goalscorer Awards. She plundered an unprecedented nine goals, four of them in the final.

Mercy Akide won the African Player of the Year in 2000 edition while Perpetua Nkwocha has been decorated twice, in 2004 and 2005. Akide has featured in FIFA All Stars teams was also the first African player to run out at the prestigious WUSA League.

2006,5th AWC: Super Falcons again boast the best record in the group stages, topping group A with maximum 9 points, scoring a total of 12 goals and conceeding 2. Top striker Uwak, with 5 goals, is gunning for the Tournaments Highest Goal scorer Award.

TOP PERFORMERS : Reigning African Woman Footballer of the Year,Perpetua Nkwocha, Cynthia Uwak and Stella Mbachu


GHANA(BLACK QUEENS)

Considered as the other pillar in the continent outside Nigeria, Ghana has played in the final of the AWC twice,losing on both occasions to Nigeria but inadvertently getting the tickets to represent Africa at 1999 and 2003 World Cups. To date, the Black Queens are the only team to beat the Super Falcons in the AWC, a landmark feat achieved in 2002 in Warri. The defeat ended Nigeria's 12 years unbeaten run.

At the FIFA 2003 World Cup, the Black Queens defeated Australia 2-1, their first victory at the World Cup with the goals coming from legendary skipper, Alberta Sackey.

Ghana's pride was dented in 2000 when Banyana Banyana shoved them out at the semi-final stage, a Jo-Anne Solomon 9th minute strike doing the magic. The won the bronze however, lampooning Zimbabwe 6-0. Two years later, they were back in the final but just like in 1998 edition, lost 2-0 to Nigeria.

South Africa 2004 was also not a favourable hunting ground for the Ghanaians, this time, it was the Indomitable Lionesses who shoved them out of the way at the semi-final stage.The Lionesses' Bella Francoise scored in extra-time.Again, the Black Queens had to console themselves with the bronze medal, scraping past Ethiopia via 5-4 penalty kicks.

Ghanaian stars, Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor were crowned African Players of the Year in 2002 and 2003 respectively.Sackey for her performance at the 2002 AWC,where she tied on four goals with Perpetua Nkwocha and Portia Modise and Bayor, for her combative performance at 2003 FIFA World Cup in USA.Bayor plays alongside Nigeria's Perpetua Nkwocha in Chinese Club, Tianjin Huisen.

2006,5th AWC: Finished top of group B with maximum nine points,scored 6 goals and conceded 2.Anita Amankwa with 4 goals is breathing down Cynthia Uwak.

TOP PERFORMERS : Skipper Adjoa Bayor, goalsqueens Anita Amankwa(scored 27 goals for top Ghanaian Club GHATEL Ladies),


CAMEROUN(INDOMITABLE LIONESSES)

The Lionesses first announced their presence in Africa in 2002 when they defeated the Banyana Banyana 3-0 to win the bronze medal with a brace from Stephanie Mekongo(Bebeto) and Lydienne Njolle Ekoh.
Two years later, the team,handled by Charles Kandem shocked the continent when they came from behind to draw two-all with the Super Falcons in a group tie and thereafter navigated their way to the final.

At the semi-final stage, the Lionesses had outclassed Ghana 1-0 in extra-time.They lost to the Super Falcons 5-0 in the final with Perpetua Nkwocha scoring four goals while pocket dynamite Vera Okolo Ekwui completed the rout.

Remarkable was the feat but the Lions, though playing in the final for the first time, were not particularly happy because it was not a World Cup year.They would have had a taste of their first World Cup.

2006,5th AWC:Had a stuttering start but put the campaign back on track in the last group tie,with their only win,finished second behind Ghana with 4 points,scored 4 goals and conceded 3.
TOP PREFORMERS:   Seraphine Mbida, Bella Francoise.

SOUTH AFRICA(BANYANA BANYANA)

One of the continents top performers, South Africa have always shown great promises although they are yet to fulfil the burning ambition of winning their first Championship title as well as appearing at the World Cup.

If the year 2000 was a FIFA World Cup year, they would have been proud ambassadors of the continent because that was the year they romped to the final of the AWC on home soil where they lost to Nigeria 2-0.

Banyana Banyana failed to make it past the first round in 1998, after losing two matches to Ghana( 4-0 )and Cameroun(3-2).Their goals came off Portia Mtokwane and Kabo Zitha, who had since retired.Veronica Phewa and Jo-Anne Solomon were in that inaugural AWC team.

In 2002 edition,they got to the semi-final stage but were pummelled 5-0 by the Super Falcons.Stella Mbachu scored a brace. They would lose the bronze medal after a 3-0 defeat by Cameroun Lionesses.Their worst performance to date came in 2004 when they hosted again. Not only did they fail to qualify from the group, the Banyana Banyana did not secure a single point.

2006,5thAWC: Finished second behind Nigeria with 6 points from 2 wins, scoring two wins6 goals and concedeing 2.

TOP PERFORMERS: Veronica Phewa,skipper Portia Modise, Lena Masebo, Jo-Anne Solomon and Mametja Disebo.