Nigeria is the big favorite for the Women's AFCON Morocco 2022. The Super Falcons are the reigning champions and top of the FIFA rankings and are aiming for a 10th title. But in Morocco, they will face very tough competition. And Nigeria's star player Asisat Oshoala is well aware of this.
Asisat Oshoala is playing it safe. The former Nigeria captain is wary of other teams ahead of the Morocco 2022 Women's World Cup (2-23 July). The 28-year-old striker believes that the standard of women's football in Africa has improved considerably. "I'm really confident in our team, but we also know that at the moment it's more competitive. Qualifying was really difficult. We had to go through Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire to get into the tournament and now we see the best on both sides in Africa," says the joint top scorer in La Liga.
The three-time African champion adds. "You have teams in Africa that are growing. We lost to South Africa in a friendly and we couldn't even beat some teams like Mali - we struggled to beat them. So it just shows that it's not going to be easy to win. It will be quite interesting and we will see how it goes. We need to step up our game and try to make sure we retain the title."
With a new format, this Africa Cup of Nations will be much more competitive. And South Africa and Cameroon are keen to challenge Nigeria's supremacy. The Indomitable Lioness Nchout Ajara is not hiding. Her objective is to lift her first continental trophy. "More than a collective challenge, it is also personal. Senegal has done it after years, it is our turn to offer the same happiness to our people. The time for strolling is over, this trophy will come home this year," the Inter Milan striker wrote on her Facebook page.
The nine-time African champions have been warned. Asisat Oshoala's team-mates will be facing a tough opponent in South Africa. Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana will go head to head on 4 July in the first match of Group C.
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