By Ogbonna Ejiofor John

With the four Africa representatives at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand fumbling except Nigeria, – Zambia already ELIMINATED – with Morocco and South Africa yet to win any match, the performances of the four teams – Nigeria, Zambia, Morocco and South Africa have shown a brazen negation of football development in the continent by the Confederation of Africa Football, CAF.

The major reason the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will never address the biased and unfair officiating against African teams in the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup is because they are also culpable.

Super Falcons would have gone to the World Cup as African Champions or AWCON finalists if not for the manner CAF favoured Morocco in the semifinal. Super Falcons players received two red cards in that encounter. This was done to ensure Morocco, the host country played in the finals and possibly win the trophy.

The two finalists; Morocco and South Africa have not been able to prove their mettle in the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup. Morocco lost 6-0 to Germany in their opening game while South Africa lost 2-1 to Sweden.

South Africa had the opportunity to record their first win of the tournament in the match against Argentina. They were leading by 2-0 until late in the game when Argentina mounted pressure on them and salvaged a 2-2 draw.

The draw gave South Africa their first-ever point in the Women’s World Cup. They lost every match in the group stage at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Despite being in the easiest group, unlike Nigeria that are in the Group of Death, South Africa as African champions managed to register only one point in two matches. This is what happens when a Federation sacrifices merit at the altar of personal interest and other inducements.

Going forward, CAF should ensure the right things are done during qualification so that any country that will represent Africa as champions will perform in tandem with that position. Once CAF is objective in all ramifications, FIFA will have no other option that to follow suit.

CAF, it should be recalled in July 2022 banned Zambia captain, Barbra Banda from participating in that year’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, AWCON held in Morocco due to ‘gender eligibility’ issues.

The forward starred at last 2021 Olympic Games, scoring consecutive hat-tricks in Zambia’s opening two games.

But the 23-year-old reportedly failed to meet the gender criteria required by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Amanda Kamanga, the president of Zambia’s FA (Faz), told BBC Sport Africa: “All the players had to undergo gender verification, a Caf requirement, and unfortunately she did not meet the criteria set by Caf.”

While Caf stressed that Banda’s exclusion did not come from them, Kamanaga believes the governing body is directly responsible.

“Everybody at home [in Zambia] has been made to believe that Faz did nothing and decided on their own to exclude the player,” Kamanga said.

“We the federations are compelled to undertake the tests and then we pass on the information to Caf, and Caf, equally, test the players if needs be in the tournament.

“So it will be unfair to turn around and say Caf is not part and parcel of whatever has transpired.”

Her exploits at the Tokyo Olympics saw her become the first female player in Olympic history to score back-to-back hat tricks and the first to score two hat tricks in one tournament.

Shockingly, Banda was permitted by FIFA to play at the ongoing ninth edition of Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She featured in the Chopper Queens’ two matches as they lost 5-0 to Japan and also recorded similar scoreline in their defeat against Spain.

Already they have been eliminated from the World Cups which was their debut competition

Photo: Nigeria’s Super Falcons got two red Cards against Morocco in the semi-final match at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, AWCON on July 18 in Morocco