u/Willing-Bad3824

The quarterfinals are over and well…we’re in the upside down world I guess! Upsets upon upsets upon upsets. Algeria and Cameroon are through to the semis and Cote D’Ivoire and Nigeria are moving on to the play-in matches for CAF’s two spots at the WC qualifications intercontinental playoffs. Melissa Bethi and Monique Ngock are now guaranteed an appearance in the WC next year while Monday, Abiodun, and Kouassi will have to wait until August 13th to see if they still have a chance to go to Brazil. 

This will be the first appearance at the WC for Algeria and Malawi and a second appearance for Morocco and Cameroon. Cameroon’s win was a revenge after Nigeria knocked them out of the competition in 2022 and denied them a spot at the 2023 WC. 

Ngock and Abiodun were standout players for their defensive work in the midfield during their match, and I’m excited to see them play together for Spirit when they return from the tournament. Monday was consistently dangerous in front of the goal but was unable to convert the chances she had. Personally, I think it was a mistake to sub her out at the second half for Okoronkwo, who really had a bad day and kept getting shut down by Ousmanou. Maybe it was just a matter of time before Monday converted one of her chances, but it’s a moot point now. 

The upside now is that we’re more likely to get a fairly refreshed Deb, Gift, and Rose since they only have one more match before they return to DC. I still think that they’re not coming back any earlier than the August 23rd match against Orlando, but who knows maybe they’re excited enough to put the tournament behind them and rush back for the ACFC match next week. 

Schedule of Matches:

Algeria v. Malawi SF Match: August 12th, 1pm

Cameroon v. Morocco SF Match: August 12th, 4pm

Nigeria v. South Africa Play-in Match: August 13th, Time TBD

Cote D'Ivoire v. Ghana Play-in Match: August 13th, Time TBD

Finals: August 13th, Time TBD

Predictions:

We’re probably looking at a Malawi v. Morocco match for the finals but who knows at this point. South Africa are a greatly diminished team and I expect Nigeria to win against them to move forward to the intercontinental playoffs. Ghana are a good side and it would be interesting to see the battle of the youths (Sery, Ouedraogo, and Boaduwaa) to see who can score first...or maybe we see Kouassi ball out like she did during the CONCACAF Championship!

Other Players to Watch (i.e. Future NWSL Stars): 

Michaely Bihina from Cameroon was probably singularly responsible for denying Nigeria any chances for a comeback during their match. She’s currently the third GK for Benefica. 

Now that WAFCON Group Stage is over, here is how our International Spirits competing in the tournament fared:

Melissa Bethi with Algeria
Bethi played as the attacking midfielder for all three games, winning two matches and losing one. Bethi played a crucial part of Algeria’s attack, scoring a beautiful goal during a 2-0 victory against Senegal winning Woman of the Match. She has been described as a hybrid of Kenza Dali and Leicy Santos, and her performance definitely demonstrates that. They finished second in their group and will be playing Cote D’Ivoire during the quarterfinals. 

Alimata Belem with Burkina Faso
Belem played holding midfielder in one game and center back for two games, winning one game and losing two. While Belem was not as influential as a midfielder during their match against Cote D’Ivoire, a switch to center back during the second half of the game allowed her defensive capabilities to really shine. They finished third in their group and have been knocked out of the competition. 

Monique Ngock with Cameroon
Ngock played as a defensive midfielder for Cameroon in two out of three group stage matches. Cameroon won two matches and drew one, finishing top of the group. Ngock plays a very important role to Cameroon’s possession-based play, especially during their win against Ghana where Ngock was recognized as the Woman of the Match. They move on to the quarterfinals where they play 10-time champion Nigeria. 

Rose Kouassi with Cote D’Ivoire
Kouassi played as a winger for all three games, winning two games and getting a draw against continental giants South Africa. Rose had one assist during their 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso and was a constant attacking threat alongside current teenagers Sery and Ouedraogo. They finished first in their group and will be playing Algeria during the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, Rose received her second yellow card so so she will be missing that game. 

Deb Abiodun and Gift Monday with Nigeria 
Deb started two matches as a defensive midfielder and Monday played one game as a striker, with Nigeria winning both matches they appeared in. Nigeria had a catastrophic loss to debutantes Malawi during their first match, but Monday did not play during the game and Deb was subbed in during the last two minutes of stoppage time. During their match against Egypt, Monday scored a goal off of a short corner 4 minutes after she came into the match, helping Nigeria win 6-2. Nigeria finished second in the group after Malawi and will be facing Cameroon during the quarterfinals. 

Schedule of Matches:
Cote D’Ivoire v. Algeria QF: August 8 at 1pm
Cameroon v. Nigeria QF: August 9 at 1pm
Play-In Matches: August 13
Semifinals Matches: August 12
Third Place Match: August 15
Finals: August 16

Predictions:

• Cote D’Ivoire are likely to advance to the semifinals and to secure a berth for the 2027 World Cup, which would be their second appearance in a World Cup after their debut in 2015. They are likely to face Malawi during the semi-finals, who have rocketed to tournament favorites since they defeated Nigeria. However, Cote D’Ivoire’s more complete lineup could pose a serious challenge to Malawi’s solid front line composed of the Chawingas, Kadzere, and Chinzimu. 
• Nigeria are likely to advance to the semifinals and to secure a berth for the 2027 World Cup, which would be their 10th appearance since their debut in 1991. Cameroon was previously knocked out of the quarterfinals and denied a spot at the World Cup in 2022 when they lost to…Nigeria. They are likely to face Morocco during the semi-finals, which would be a repeat of last year’s WAFCON finals. 
• Algeria are most likely to face Cameroon during the play-in matches for the inter-confederation playoffs. 
• FINALS: Malawi and Nigeria, which would be an absolute epic rematch! Deb could play a very crucial role in denying direct balls from midfield to Malawi’s front line, just as she did during their group stage match against Zambia.
• What This Means for Players Returning: We'll most likely see all of our players back in time for the August 23 home match against Orlando Pride

Other Players to Watch (i.e. Future NWSL Stars): 
Grace Sery, Cote D’Ivoire
N’Sira Ouedraogo, Cote D’Ivoire
Doris Boaduwaa, Ghana
Kautar Azraf, Morocco
Sokhna Pene, Senegal
Adji Ndiaye, Senegal
Rose Kadzere, Malawi
Faith Chinzimu, Malawi

The review starts at 3:26. Interesting that when the PK was called VAR immediately said no foul. Unfortunately players won't get booked for diving.