Starlets Land Champions Super Falcons Yet Again In AWCON Draw

22nd October 2018

Kenya in Group B of the competition alongside South Africa and Zambia as hosts Ghana end up in trickier pool

Harambee Starlets returning from the 2018 Cecafa Women Championships in Rwanda. PHOTO/Courtesy/FKF
Harambee Starlets returning from the 2018 Cecafa Women Championships in Rwanda. PHOTO/Courtesy/FKF
SUMMARY
  • Kenya who will be making their second appearance in the eight-team continental showpiece that runs from November 17 to December 1 will also take on the might of four-time runner-ups, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana and Zambia in Cape Coast
  • Nigeria, eight-time winners, will complete their group phase matches with their clash with Kenya on November 24
  • Kenya were reinstated to the competition when CAF last week upheld the country’s appeal against two-time champions, Equatorial Guinea

NAIROBI, Kenya- Harambee Starlets will once again face champions and record 10-time title winners Super Falcons in Group B following the draw of the CAF 2019 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) conducted on Sunday night in Accra, Ghana.

Kenya who will be making their second appearance in the eight-team continental showpiece that runs from November 17 to December 1 will also take on the might of four-time runner-ups, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana and Zambia in Cape Coast.

Hosts Ghana were handed the trickier draw and will lock horns with Cameroon, Algeria and Mali in Group A of the competition where the top –three finishers will represent Africa at the 2019 FIFA Women World Cup in March.

The Black Queens will play the opening match of the competition on November 17 when they take on Algeria at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana will play Mali three days later before wrapping up their group campaign against giants Cameroon on November 20 in Accra.

Holders the Super Falcons will open their campaign on 18 November in Cape Coast before tackling Zambia at the same venue three days later.

Nigeria, eight-time winners, will complete their group phase matches with their clash with Kenya on November 24.

The top two sides in the groups will progress to the semi-finals.

Starlets will be seeking an improvement of their performance on their maiden appearance in Cameroon in 2016 where they lost all their pool stage matches to Nigeria (3-0), Mali (3-1) and Ghana (3-1) to bow out in the group stages.

Kenya were reinstated to the competition when CAF last week upheld the country’s appeal against two-time champions, Equatorial Guinea who had earlier edged them 2-3 on aggregate in the final round of qualifiers.

The Equatoguineans were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player with the team also banned from the World Cup over the same charges.

2019 AWCON Draw

Group A

Ghana, Cameroon, Algeria, Mali.

Group B

Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya