Africa

Morocco women’s team hire disgraced ex-Spain head coach Jorge Vilda

Women's World Cup winner and former Spain coach Jorge Vilda was appointed as the new manager of the Morocco women's team on Thursday, succeeding Frenchman Reynald Pedros.

Vilda, who won the Women's World Cup with Spain in August, was sacked 10 days after FIFA suspended former Spanish FA (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales for giving a non-consensual kiss to striker Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony in Sydney.

Watch the moment Morocco’s players learn they’re advancing after Germany tied 1-1

PERTH — Debutants Morocco stunned Colombia 1-0 in their final group match in Perth on Thursday to reach the last 16 of the Women's World Cup at the first attempt along with their opponents.

The 72nd ranked Moroccans scored through Anissa Lahmari's toe-poke after a saved penalty at the end of the first half but their passage was only secured after South Korea held twice champions Germany to a 1-1 draw in the other Group H match.

South Africa reaches last 16 of World Cup with players who work 9-5, train 7-9

The greatest story at the 2023 Women's World Cup belongs to South Africa after Banyana Banyana (The Girls), ranked 54th in the world, shocked 16th-ranked Italy, quarterfinalists back in 2019, to reach the Round of 16 for the first time ever.

South Africa entered the match having only just earned their first-ever World Cup point in a 2-2 draw with Argentina, but anything less than a victory over Italy would've condemned Banyana Banyana to group stage elimination.

Nigeria through to World Cup last 16 after stalemate with Ireland

BRISBANE - Nigeria advanced to the Women's World Cup knockout stages for the third time in their history after a 0-0 draw with Ireland in their final Group B match on Monday, with the African side finishing second in the group behind hosts Australia.

Australia's World Cup on the brink after shock 3-2 defeat to Nigeria

BRISBANE - Nigeria produced the first major shock of the Women's World Cup as they stunned Australia 3-2 on Thursday to leave the co-hosts' tournament hopes on thin ice and home fans reeling.

Asisat Oshoala volleyed into an open goal in the 72nd minute to seal a deserved win for the Africans after Uchenna Kanu cancelled out Emily van Egmond's opener on the cusp of halftime and Osinachi Ohale nudged Nigeria ahead after the break.

Amanda Ilestedt goes from villain to hero in Sweden's last-gap win over South Africa

A last-gasp goal by Amanda Ilestedt allowed Sweden to defeat South Africa 2-1 in their opening match at the 2023 World Cup.

Despite the win, the fans and the press were far from satisfied with the team's performance, deeming it "a disaster." Many believed that Sweden, ranked third in the FIFA rankings, should have demonstrated their superiority more emphatically against South Africa, a team positioned only 54th in the world.

Nigeria's Nnadozie provides clutch penalty save vs. Sinclair to earn massive draw

MELBOURNE — Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saved a penalty to help Nigeria secure a valuable 0-0 draw against Olympic champions Canada in their Women's World Cup opener on Friday in a result that threw the group wide open.

Nnadozie denied Christine Sinclair from the spot in the 50th minute with a low dive to her left as the Canada skipper missed out on becoming the first player to score in six World Cups in front of 21,000 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

South Africa loses own World Cup send-off 5-0 after player boycott leads to makeshift team with a 13-year-old

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Women's World Cup preparations were plunged into chaos on Sunday when a shadow national team including a 13-year-old took on Botswana in a friendly as the squad selected for the finals were locked in a dispute with the national association.

The match was supposed to be a send-off for the squad going to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand before they continue their preparations outside the country.

Senegal put FOUR past Brazil as Sadio Mané scores a brace

Brazil's legendary national team has played 89 different countries over the course of its storied history but only two nations have managed to face the Seleção without tasting defeat. Norway, surprisingly, has a record of two wins and two draws against Brazil (including a famous victory at the '98 World Cup), and the other nation actually beat them on Tuesday: Senegal.

There's a man with a chainsaw in the stadium and we're not in Portland

Things got a little out of hand during a recent CAF Champions League quarterfinal between Espérance and JS Kabylie in Tunisia. The match experienced a 40-minute delay to the second half after fans clashed with security forces around the stadium, and firefighters were required to put out several small fires in the stands.

Also, a storage room was looted and some of the equipment was later seen being used in the riots, including a chainsaw. According to Reuters, the chainsaw-wielding man has since been arrested.  

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