The Week in Women's Football: Celebrating Barbra Banda's Orlando arrival; deep analysis on India
This week, we look at the final two Olympic Games Finals qualifiers from Africa, along with the draw for the three groups to be played this summer in France, and talk to one of the heroes—Barbra Banda of Zambia—after she joined the Orlando Pride for her first few days in America.
We also reflect on the worrisome news that the 2024 African Women's Cup of Nations might not take place this year due to international fixture congestion. We also look at the recently completed 2023-24 Indian Women's League season, including the final table, the Golden Boot race and the 18 imports across the seven league teams—with seven coming from Nepal—and how the Indian League and the rapidly improving Nepalese WNT have mutually benefitted, with a Nepalese forward and former IWL player now performing in France's Division I Feminine Arkena.
Nigeria and Zambia qualify for this summer's Olympic Games Finals
Nigeria and Zambia have qualified for the last two spots at this summer's women's football Olympic Games Finals in France. Nigeria played tough defense in a game with few chances for either side in a scoreless second leg draw in Zambia on April 9, after a 1-0 home win in Abeokuta in Southwest Nigeria on April 5, for a 1-0 aggregate victory. Rasheedat Ajibade (24), who has played at Atletico Madrid in Spain since January of 2021 after a season at Alvadsnes in Norway, scored the only goal from the penalty spot late in the first half of the first match. Chinwendu Ihezuo (30) of Pachuca of Mexico, who has also played in China and Kazakhstan as well at home, drew the foul in the penalty box.
American Randy Waldrum is still Nigeria's WNT coach, despite all the turmoil last summer by the federation about his coaching, but by his team making the
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