•Overview of the 2023 Womens WC
•Nigeria in focus
•What to know about African teams
•What to know about top-ranked non-African countries

The 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup is upon us! Australia and New Zealand have the hosting rights to this prestigious tournament which will begin on Thursday, 20 July 2023, with Nigeria searching for a Maiden World Cup Title and the United States hoping to defend theirs for the third consecutive time while the other 31 teams desire to knock them off their perch.

It would be the ninth edition of the tournament and it will feature 32 Countries. All sights will be on the prize, all hands will be on deck, and all the players would look to etch their names in history and give their all on the pitch to earn a place in the final on August 20 in Sydney at the Accor Stadium to fight for the ultimate price and go home with $152 million.

The $152 million prize money for this year’s tournament represents a significant increase compared to previous years ($30 million in 2019 and $15 million in 2015)

The official theme song for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is upbeat alt-rock song “DO IT AGAIN” by New Zealand singer and songwriter BENEE, featuring Australian musician Mallrat. It’s 2 minutes and 56 seconds long.

The 32 Countries have been spread out into eight groups of four, lettered A through H. Here is the full list of Countries by group:
Group A—New Zealand(Co-hosts), Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
Group B—Australia(Co-hosts), Canada, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland
Group C—Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Zambia
Group D—China, Denmark, England, Haiti
Group E—Netherlands, Portugal, United States, Vietnam
Group F—Brazil, France, Jamaica, Panama
Group G—Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Sweden
Group H—Colombia, Germany, South Korea, Morocco

With the expansion of the competition now allowing 32 nations to contest, these are countries making their maiden appearance on the world stage. Vietnam, Zambia, Haiti, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland.

Now to Nigeria.

Nigeria will be among the four Nations representing the continent of Africa, a position in which they have found themselves many times and stepped up to the plate, being the only women’s national team from the Confederation of African Football to have reached the quarterfinals(1999) in both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Football at the Summer Olympics.

They are also one of the few teams in the world to have qualified for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their biggest win was on 11 May 2019 thumping Niger by 15–0.

The Super Falcons are by a mile, Africa’s most successful international women’s football team, winning a record eleven Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles, with their most recent title in 2018, after defeating South Africa in the final. They would be in the chase for their Maiden World Cup Title.

Nigerian Players on the Radar

Asisat Oshoala

She is arguably if not outrightly the most recognized face on the team. She is a force to be reckoned with. A five-time African player of the year and the first African to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or Féminin.

Oshoala scored in Nigeria’s 2015 and 2019 World Cup appearances and will hope to steer a potent Nigerian side out of the group stages, where they are matched with Co-hosts Australia, Ireland and Canada and eventually lift the trophy.

Onome Ebi

The veteran No.5 has played football for about two decades and is not fazed by the age factor. At 40, she is set to feature in her sixth World Cup. In 2019 she became the first African footballer to play in six FIFA World Cup Tournaments, so that makes her the first African footballer to play in six World Cups. Ebi has been a Leader on the Nigerian team and would hope to guide the team to making history.

Africa in Focus

South Africa

Bayana Bayana secured their first WAFCON title and would be looking to replicate it on the World Cup stage. This year’s World Cup will be their second outing, their first showing in the Women’s World Cup saw them grouped with two-time champions Germany, former runners-up China PR and powerhouse Spain and they were booted out without racking any points in the group. They would aim for a better result out of the group stage in the company of Sweden, Italy and Argentina.

Player on the radar.

Refiloe Jane

The captain of Banyana Banyana and Sassuolo midfielder, Jane, has accumulated 100 caps for South Africa before she turned 28. She was a standout player for Banyana Banyana when they won the African Cup of Nations in 2022 and she was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside team-mates Andile Dlamini, Bambanani Mbane and Jermaine Seoposenwe. She is an integral part of the team.

Zambia

This will be Zambia’s first appearance at a World Cup. Led by Bruce Mwape, the Copper Queens got a third-place finish in the African Cup of Nations which is the side’s best finish at a major tournament in their history.

Player on the Radar.

Barbra Banda

At just 20 years old, Barbra Banda burst into the limelight at the 2020 Olympics, scoring hat-tricks in back-to-back games against the Netherlands and China, becoming the first woman to do so and thereby etching her name in the history books.

The striker won the Chinese Women’s Super League Golden Boot in her debut season for Shanghai Shengli.

She will now be eligible to feature in the Women’s World Cup despite being threatened by high testosterone levels which led to the Confederation of African Football banning her from the 2022 African Cup of Nations in what the Human Rights Watch described as a violation of her rights.

Morocco

The Atlas Lionesses had never qualified for a World Cup before the 2023 tournament but a second-place finish at the Women’s African Cup of Nations in 2022, saw them earn a berth in the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Player on the Radar

Ghizlane Chebbak

The Captain of the Atlas Lionesses, Ghizlane Chebbak, is the most capped player and leading goalscorer with 21 goals in 56 appearances and was named the Player of the Tournament at the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations, netting three goals and registering an assist in six games. The 32-year-old is one the most influential figures in Morocco’s Women’s Football.

Top-ranked Non-African Countries

USA

Of course, we would start with the defending Champions; the United States of America (USWNT) nicknamed “The Stars and Stripes”.

USA was the first to lift the trophy in 1991, after a 2-1 victory over Norway in front of 63,000 spectators in Guangzhou. They are also the most successful international women’s soccer team, winning four Women’s World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019) and in search of a third successive title.

US Players on the Radar

Sophia Smith

Reigning NWSL MVP and youngest player to be named US Soccer Female Player of the Year. Sophia Smith holds the record of being the first player born in the 2000s to appear for the national team. She is an absolute terror for defenders and in the face of goal.

Trinity Rodman

The steaming Youngster recently netted a fine brace in a 2-0 friendly win over Wales, becoming the youngest USWNT player to do so at 20 years and 50 days of age. The youngster is impeccable in front of goal.

Alex Morgan

The OG and Superstar of the US Women’s team, Scoring 121 goals in 206 appearances. She will be playing in her fourth World Cup, come 20th.

And last but not least, Megan Rapinoe

The Legend and Former Team Captain will be playing the last World Cup of her brilliant career.

Australia

The Matildas have home advantage going into the World Cup, being co-hosts with New Zealand. They have appeared in the World Cup on Seven occasions but are still in search of gold. Despite progressing from the group stage in their last four attempts and ranking fourth in the 2019 World Cup, the Maltida’s fell short.

They tested the waters on Friday, 14 July in a friendly over France, they won by a goal to nothing.

Player on the Radar

Sam Kerr

Kerr is one of the best players in Women’s football scoring a whopping 60 goals in international tournaments, making her the all-time leading Australian scorer for both men and women’s soccer. She has won the golden boot in the top league of three different countries: England, Australia and the US.

Sweden

Sweden would be hoping to shake off the near-success syndrome that has enveloped them. The side has never won the World Cup but has come close on several occasions, losing in the final to Germany in heart-wrenching fashion, conceding a golden goal in extra-time after the match was tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes. They have also come third on three occasions, most recently in 2019 after beating England 2-1 in the third-place play-off.

Germany

Germany are one of just two teams to have won the competition multiple times. They beat Sweden in the 2003 final before becoming the first team to retain the trophy when they beat Brazil 2-0 in the 2007 final, winning the competition without conceding a single goal.

Brazil

They have appeared in all eight editions Women’s World Cup and are back for the ninth time, making it to the knockout stages in all but the 1991 tournament. They finished as runners-up to Germany in 2007 after being beaten 2-0 in the final and have been knocked out at the round of 16 stage at the last two tournaments.

If you loved seeing Argentine Legend and seven-time Balon D’or winner, Lionel Messi lift the World Cup in the Men’s division then you would want to root for Brazil in the Women’s World Cup as Veteran and six-time Balon D’or winner, Marta is set to play in her sixth World Cup with Brazil at 37 years of age in hopes of lifting her first World Cup Trophy.

And voila! That’s a wrap. This year’s Women’s World Cup promises to be entertaining, do not miss out on the action.