Ivory Coast won Africa’s third and final spot for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, qualifying for the final competition for the first time in their federation’s history.
Ivory Coast won in dramatic fashion on Saturday 25 October in Windhoek, Namibia, scoring the lone goal with just six minutes remaining of a 1:0 victory over South Africa.
The Ivory Coast qualification was followed by the African Women’s Championship final, with Nigeria winning 2:0 over Cameroon. Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala were the two goal scorers in the victory. It was just three days earlier that both Nigeria and Cameroon qualified through the semi-final stage on 22 October.
Ivory Coast is the 20th nation to qualify for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, with now only four spots left open. The 21st nation – either Mexico or Trinidad and Tobago – will qualify through CONCACAF’s match for third place on Sunday 26 October.
As for the hero of the day, it was 20-year old Rebecca Guehai Ida who scored the winning goal in the 84th minute. The late winner reversed the disappointment from three days earlier, after Ivory Coast lost to a Cameroon 118th-minute winner by Christine Manie in the African semi final.
From more than 129 competing nations, 24 countries from around the world will take part in next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. With 20 nations now qualified, five more spots still have to be filled before the Official Draw 6 December 2014.
QUALIFIED (20 of 24):
Canada (host)
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
China PR
Colombia
Costa Rica
England
France
Germany
Ivory Coast
Japan
Korea Republic
Nigeria
Norway
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
USA
Photo: cafonline.com
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