5 things to know about 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

The 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations brings together the best eight teams in Africa to compete for the title.

The 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) brings together eight teams around the continent to compete for the title.

Here are five things you need to know the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations.

1.    Duration and the host country

The 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations is a continental football event which would be hosted in two major cities in Ghana.

 

The tournament is scheduled to hold from Saturday, September 17 till Saturday, December 11 across Ghanaian cities Accra and Cape Coast.

This is the 11th edition of the Africa Women Cup of Nations which started in 1991 and was renamed from the African Women's Championship until 2015.

2.    Participating teams

Seven teams and the host country qualified to take part at the2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations.

Ghana (hosts), Algeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

 

Even though the Super Falcons of Nigeria are the reigning champions they went through the qualification phase with only hosts Ghana not participating.

Equatorial Guinea qualified for the tournament but the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) replaced them with Kenya for fielding an ineligible player.

3.    Group stage of 2018 AWCON

The 2018 AWCON will have a total of 16 matches played at the Cape Coast Stadium and Accra Stadium.

 

There are eight teams split into two group of four countries each with hosts Ghana and reigning champions the Super Falcons the top seeds.

Winners of each group will be pair against the runners-up up in the semi-finals.

Winners in the semi-final will progress to the final, will losers will contest for third place.

Groups

A - Ghana,  Algeria  Mali  and runners-up of the last edition Cameroon.

B- Super Falcons of Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Kenya (replaced by the Equatorial Guinea)

 

Matches

17 November / Accra Stadium

3:30pm: Ghana v Algeria

6:30pm: Mali v Cameroon

18 November / Cape Coast Stadium

3:30pm: Nigeria v South Africa

6:30pm: Zambia v Equatorial Guinea

20 November / Accra Stadium

3:30pm: Ghana v Mali

6:30pm: Cameroon v Algeria

 

21 November / Cape Coast Stadium

3:30pm: Nigeria v Zambia

6:30pm: Equatorial Guinea v South Africa

23 November

4:00pm: Cameroon v Ghana (Accra Stadium)

4:00pm: Algeria v Mali (Cape Coast Stadium)

24 November

4:00pm: Equatorial Guinea v Nigeria (Cape Coast Stadium)

4:00pm: South Africa v Zambia (Accra Stadium)

 

Semi-finals | 27 November

3:30pm: 1st Group A v 2nd Group B (Accra Stadium)

6:30pm: 1st Group B v 2nd Group A (Cape Coast Stadium)

Third-place | 30 November

4:00pm: Loser SF 1 v Loser SF 2 (Cape Coast Stadium)

Final | 1 December

4:00pm: Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2 (Accra Stadium)

4.    World Cup

The 2018 AWCON will serve as a qualifying route to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup for African teams.

 

The eight African countries at the tournament all have a chance of progressing to the competition scheduled to hold in France from Friday, June 7 till Sunday, July 7.

Only three teams from the continent will partake among the 24 countries on the world stage.

The winners, runners-up, and bronze medal match winners will represent Africa on the world stage.

5.    Past winners

Only two teams have won the Africa Women Cup of Nations which are the Super Falcons of Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

 

Nigeria has 10 titles while Equatorial Guinea have two, the Lionesses of Cameroon and the Bayana Bayana of South Africa have both finished runners-up on two separate occasions.

With the host of the 2018 edition the Black Queens of Ghana finishing as runners-up three times.