2024 WAFCON: List of qualified nations as Tanzania outscore CECAFA rivals Kenya, Uganda
By Joel Sang, December 6, 2023
Tanzania are the only CECAFA nation that will take part in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after Taifa Queens secured their place with an aggregate win over Togo.
Taifa Queens lost 1-0 in the second leg of a match that was played in Lome, but advanced to the continental finals courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate victory.
On the other hand, Kenya failed to overcome the Botswana hurdle, losing 2-1 on aggregate. In the first leg, the game ended in a 1-1 draw at Nyayo Stadium, where Harambee Starlets lost a penalty that would have proved decisive.
In Gaborone, the East Africans were defeated by a 1-0 margin and were also unable to score from the spot after Cynthia Shilwatso wasted a penalty.
Tanzania shine
The qualification to WAFCON is a double joy for Tanzania, whose national men’s team, the Taifa Stars, will participate in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast.
Kenya and Uganda, on the other hand, will not be part of the continental extravaganza after they failed to book their slots.
Tanzania continues to prove that they are a fast-growing football nation as its top clubs, Simba SC and their arch-rivals, Yanga SC, are also regular participants in the CAF inter-club competitions, the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
In fact, Yanga, who were dominant on the domestic front, reached the final of the Confederation Cup final and lost to Morocco’s RS Berkane. This season, both Yanga and Simba are in the Champions League, and this raises Tanzania’s profile as a competitive soccer nation.
Other WAFCON qualified teams
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Queens saw off Namibia to advance to the WAFCON finals and were joined by DR Congo, which defeated two-time champion Equatorial Guinea.
Mali, Senegal, Zambia, and pre-tournament favourites Nigeria are the other nations that have booked their places in the tournament that will be held in Morocco.
Algeria, who beat Burundi as well as South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, the defending champions, were the first countries to qualify.