DR Congo has been eliminated from qualifying for next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after failing to show for a match in Equatorial Guinea.
The central Africans did not turn up for the first leg of their first-round tie in Malabo on Wednesday, citing logistical and financial problems.
The Equatorial Guinea federation had said it planned to honour the return fixture in Kinshasa on Sunday despite the first leg not being played.
However, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has cancelled the second leg and expelled DR Congo from the competition in accordance with tournament regulations.
Equatorial Guinea become the second country through to the second round after Djibouti were given a bye when their opponents Rwanda withdrew.
Super Falcons establish lead over rivals Ghana
On the pitch, Nigeria clinched a 2-0 home win over Ghana in the first leg of their first-round qualifying tie on Wednesday.
Uchenna Kanu struck both goals for the hosts before the break-in Lagos – the first a header before her second followed a corner.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons are three-time defending Nations Cup champions and have won the continental title a record nine times. The return leg will be in Accra on Sunday.
Elsewhere, South Africa, beaten on penalties in the final in 2018, won 7-0 away against Mozambique, with captain Janine van Wyk among the scorers in Maputo.
Algeria thrashed Sudan 14-0, Ivory Coast won 9-0 in Niger and Kenya cruised to an 8-0 victory over South Sudan, who are competing in the qualifiers for the first time.
There were also victories for Cameroon, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
The aggregate winners of the 22 first-round ties will reach the second round of qualifying, which will decide the 11 nations joining hosts Morocco at next year’s finals.
The 2022 tournament – the first since 2018 after the 2020 edition was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic – will be held from 2-23 July.
The Nations Cup semi-finalists will qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand, while two other countries will progress to an inter-continental playoff tournament.
The final first-round first-leg tie takes place on Friday, when Sao Tome host Togo, with the second legs taking place from 23-26 October.
Wednesday’s first round first-leg results
- Uganda 2-0 Ethiopia
- Tanzania 1-2 Namibia
- Zimbabwe 3-1 Eswatini
- Mozambique 0-7 South Africa
- Malawi 1-1 Zambia
- Egypt 2-6 Tunisia
- Kenya 8-0 South Sudan
- Nigeria 2-0 Ghana
- Central African Republic 0-1 Cameroon
- Eritrea 0-5 Burundi
- Congo 2-1 Gabon
- Liberia 1-2 Senegal
- Guinea-Bissau 1-0 Mauritania
- Niger 0-9 Ivory Coast
- Angola 1-5 Botswana
- Sierra Leone 0-2 The Gambia
- Burkina Faso 2-1 Benin
- Mali 2-2 Guinea
- Algeria 14-0 Sudan
Friday’s first round first-leg fixture
- Sao Tome v Togo
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SOURCE: BBNEWS
