Nigeria’s Super Falcons have drawn Australia, Republic of Ireland, and reigning Olympic gold winners Canada, at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons, will be led by captain Onome Ebi of Spain’s Levante Las Palnas, at 40, for her sixth record-extending African appearance and star forward Asisat Oshoala of Barcelona, having won a record fifth African Women’s Player of the Year in July 2022.
South Africa, who won their first African title in the recent TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, will face tricky opponents in Group G as they will battle Sweden, Italy and Argentina.
First-timers Zambia are in Group C to face European giants Spain, former world champions Japan and Costa Rica, while debutants Morocco slug it out with Germany, Colombia and Korea Republic in Group H.
On the other hand, Senegal and Cameroon will look to snatch two of the three playoff spots in the 10-nation tournament in February 2023 and, should they advance, will face tough oppositions in Group D, E or F.
Group D hosts European champions England, Denmark and China, and Group E got reigning world champions USA, Netherlands and Vietnam, while Group F houses France, Brazil and Jamaica.
Overall, the draw set up a global tasty clash between world title holders USA and runners up Netherlands in what will be a repeat of the 2019 Women’s World Cup final at this year’s tournament after they were put in Group E.
Another interesting tie in widely touted ‘group of death’ is in Group F where France will face South American champions Brazil in a repeat of a tightly-contested 2019 Women’s World Cup Round of 16 duel.
The draw in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday was attended by more than 800 guests, including at least three representatives each, from the four African nations participating in the competition along with some other African federations leaders.