Monthly Archives: February 2022

The Oceania Athletics Championships, which is the pinnacle event within the Oceania Area for Athletics, will see the best athletes head to Mackay from June 7 to 11.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said having Mackay as the host city in 2022 was an amazing opportunity and a testament to the world-class nature of the Mackay ARC (Aquatic and Recreation Complex).

He said Mackay Regional Council, through its Events Attraction Program, had worked hard to secure the event, which was expected to generate 11,725 bed nights and result in a $2.5 million dollar stimulus to the region.

To be able to boast facilities that put us on an even playing field with the capital cities of the Oceania region is a huge coup for Mackay, Mayor Williamson said.

We look forward to welcoming athletes from across the Pacific and hope they take the time to enjoy some of our regions must-do activities like see a platypus at Eungella, meet the Cape Hillsborough wallabies on the beach at sunrise or simply enjoy a meal in our City Centre, he said.

The 2022 edition of the Championships aims to maximise and highlight athletes performances in a sustainable way.

The Championships will take a new and exciting format and will be the first Area Championships to be inclusive of all age groups and abilities.

The Senior, U20 and U18 Championships will take place in their traditional format, with the Area Championships in 2022 an important stepping stone for athletes wanting to compete at World Championships, both in Eugene (Senior) and Cali (Under 20) later in the year. For the Senior Champions, it would mean an automatic qualification to the World Championships in 2022, providing being selected by their Federation.

The introduction of an Under 16 competition, into the Area Championships, is seen as an exciting development for Oceania Athletics. With school athletics being so strong throughout the region, with competitions such as the Coke Games, Colgate Games, Australian All Schools to name a few, seen as significant within their own Member Federations. The U16 competition, will take the format of Teams Competition, with teams able to enter through, Clubs or Schools, Regions, States or Member Federations.

Oceania Athletics has always had a strong relationship with Masters Athletics, and the introduction of a full range of masters events to be contested, will be a first for Oceania Athletics and the Oceania Masters Athletics Association.The event will also play host to the Queensland Masters Athletics Championships.

To be an all-inclusive event, Oceania Athletics has led the way with the introduction of Para-Events within the Area Championships program. For the first time, a full program of events will be offered throughout the Championships. Without a World Para Championships occurring in 2022, the Oceania Championships will serve as an important stepping stone in the lead up to Paris 2024.

Oceania Athletics President, Robin Sapong-Eugenio, is looking forward to the Championships in Mackay, Mackay has proven itself to host major sporting events, including athletics competitions, over the past few years, and we are pleased to be working with the Mackay Regional Council as the major partner and sponsor of the Championships.

With Covid affecting travel throughout the region over the past 2 years, this will be the first opportunity that the Oceania Family will be together in the flesh since 2019.

The Championships is going to be the most inclusive that Oceania Athletics has ever held, with athletes of all ages and abilities heading to Mackay to compete.

We cant wait to see everyone in Mackay for the Oceania Area Athletics Championships.

This will be the seventh time the Oceania Athletics Championships has been hosted in North Queensland, and the first time in Mackay.The Mackay facility, built in 2019, hosted the 2019 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships, and has gone on to host the 2020 North Queensland Championships. The facility was a beneficiary of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with most of their equipment received from the Games.

Mackay becomes the sixth city to host both the Oceania Masters and the Oceania Championships, joining Suva, Townsville, Papeete, Apia, and Christchurch.

Oceania Athletics will follow all government regulations regarding Covid-19 including any travel restrictions, entry requirements and regulations specific to hosting events.

Previous Oceania Athletics Championships Venues:1990Suva, Fiji1994Auckland, New Zealand1996Townsville, Australia1998Nukualofa, Tonga2000Adelaide, Australia2002Christchurch, New Zealand2004Townsville, Australia2006Apia, Samoa2008Saipan, Northern Marianas2010Cairns, Australia2013Papeete, French Polynesia2015Cairns, Australia2017Suva, Fiji2019Townsville, Australia2022Mackay, Australia

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Mackay announced as host of Oceania Athletics Championships 2022 - Mackay Regional Council

More than1 in4 women worldwide have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, new research has found, highlighting the need for investment in interventions to reduce violence against women and promote gender equality coming out of the pandemic.

An estimated 27 percent of women who have been married or have had a long-term male partner have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, according to a recent study published in the Lancet medical journal using World Health Organization data from before the pandemic.

The study, using population-based surveys, estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence across the world from 2000 through 2018. Researchers say that governments are not on track to meet the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which, among other ambitious goals, aims to eliminate violence against women and achieve gender parity in the next eight years.

Data was collected from 161 countries and areas, accounting for 2 million women aged 15 and older, representing 90 percent of the global population of women and girls.

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These findings confirm that violence against women by male intimate partners remains a global public health challenge, Claudia Garca-Moreno, a researcher at the WHO and one of the studys authors, said in a statement. The authors call for urgent investment in effective multisector interventions and a strengthened public health response in tackling this issue post-COVID-19.

Garca-Moreno added that although the study took place before the pandemic, the numbers are alarming and research has shown the pandemic exacerbated issues leading to intimate partner violence such as isolation, depression and anxiety, and alcohol use, as well as reducing access to support services.

The pandemic has worsened all types of violence against women and girls, the United Nations has said, though domestic violence in particular has intensified. In many places, critical resources for survivors have been diverted to immediate COVID-19 relief.

In the Lancet study, women in North America reported the highest rates of intimate partner violence among high-income regions, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 25 percent. Prevalence of past-year domestic violence was also highest in North America, at 6 percent.

Still, most high-income regions, including Australasia, western Europe and southern Latin America, reported lower rates of physical or sexual intimate partner violence compared to more low-income areas like sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, according to the report.

The studys authors did acknowledge the limitations of using surveys based on self-reporting, as well as gaps in data among some groups, such as those living with disabilities, Indigenous people, trans women and women in same-sex partnerships.

Given the sensitive and stigmatised nature of the issue, the true prevalence of violence that these women are subjected to by an intimate partner is likely to be even higher, the studys authors wrote.

Isabelle Younane, head of policy at the British charity Womens Aid, told The Washington Post that the Lancet report is really just the tip of the iceberg because most cases of domestic violence go unreported.

Younane said concerns over stigmatization and a lack of trust in law enforcement and the courts are commonly cited by women as reasons for not speaking out.

We must make sure that lifesaving specialist domestic abuse services are properly funded, as well as tackling the root causes of domestic abuse: challenging sexist attitudes, promoting healthy relationships, and driving a real shift in prevention, she said.

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More than 1 in 4 women worldwide have experienced intimate partner violence: study - The Hill

Although preliminary evidence suggests booster doses might enhance protection against omicron, studies are underway to fully determine vaccine effectiveness," the lancet study said.

Given the natural lag between infection and severe outcomes, we await further data on omicron for effectiveness of vaccinations in preventing severe diseasethe key intended outcome of vaccination," it added.

In the meantime, the South Africa National Institute for Communicable Diseases has shared preliminary data indicating a decoupling of infection rates from hospitalisations and deaths with omicron. These data suggest underlying immune responses following infection and that primary and booster vaccination might attenuate the course of illness," it said.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) was designated a variant of concern by WHO because of specific mutations that might increase transmissibility, risk of reinfection, or vaccine breakthrough infection, the lancet study said.

Many of these mutations affect the receptor-binding domain and N-terminal domain of the spike protein, which might, paradoxically, increase binding to ACE-2 while evading antibody recognition," it added.

Pandemic fades with a fifth fewer cases in a week

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic continued its retreat this week, with fewer deaths and the number of new cases decreasing in most regions of the world.

Here is a state of play based on a database.

- 22 percent drop -

After a surge which lasted for three-and-a-half months, the average number of global daily cases dropped for a third week in a row, falling back by 22 percent to 1.97 million, according to an AFP tally to Thursday.

The confirmed cases only reflect a fraction of the actual number of infections, with varying counting practices and levels of testing in different countries.

- Let up in most regions -

The situation improved in most regions of the world over the past seven days.

The number of daily cases dropped by 43 percent in the United States/Canada zone, by 35 percent in the Middle East, by 23 percent in Europe and the Latin America/Caribbean area and by 22 percent in Africa.

The situation remained almost stable in Asia, with a one percent fall in cases. They increased by the same amount in Oceania.

- Main spikes -

South East Asia and Oceania saw the biggest spike in the number of new cases this week.

New Zealand registered the biggest increase of 239 percent, followed by Hong Kong (192 percent increase), Malaysia (111 percent more), Vietnam (plus 78 percent) and South Korea (up 66 percent).

- Main drops -

Sweden saw the biggest drop of the week with 78 percent fewer cases, followed by Kazakhstan (minus 59 percent), Kosovo (minus 57 percent), Colombia (minus 55 percent) and Suriname (minus 54 percent).

- Russia overtakes US -

Russia this week overtook the US to register the highest number of new cases with an average of 187,500 infections a day, an increase of six percent.

The US fell to third place, with 119,600 cases per day -- a 44 percent drop -- well behind Germany with 180,900 cases, a decrease of six percent.

On a per capita basis, the country with the most new cases over the week was again Denmark with 5,026 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Latvia with 3,635, the Netherlands (2,877), Georgia (2,851) and Estonia (2,777).

- Deaths start to drop -

The number of Covid-linked deaths declined by seven percent globally, with an average of 10,355 per day, after an increase for five weeks in a row.

Even though the highly contagious Omicron variant led at its peak to four times more daily infections than previous waves, daily deaths remain far lower than their record high in January 2021 when they skirted 15,000.

The US again mourned the most deaths this week with an average of 2,300 per day, ahead of Brazil (841) and Russia (726).

The countries reporting the highest death rates in proportion to their population were all in the Balkans or the Caucasus with Bulgaria and Bosnia mourning nine deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Croatia on 8.5, Georgia (8.1) and Northern Macedonia (7.9).

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New data shows Omicron is spreading and infecting the vaccinated with booster dose - Mint

This week, we look at a recent intriguing trip taken by Tahiti of Oceania to play three international friendlies in Europe this monthamong the plethora of friendly internationals in Europe and the Americas during the FIFA international windowahead of their regional Oceania 2023 Women's World Cup Qualifier and regional championships this summer from July 5-31 for 11 members, with the format and host yet to be determined. We also look at the first leg of the second round matches for the 2023 Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Africa, ahead of the 12 team Women's Africa Cup of Nations Finals this summer (July 2-23) in Morocco.

Tahiti Goes to Europe for Three National Team Friendlies

Tahiti (ranked 104th among women's national teams in the latest FIFADecember 10, 2021ranking) are touring Europe this month with three friendly matches scheduled, two against Luxembourg (ranked 118th and 47th out of 52 UEFA women's national teams) and one in Andorra (ranked 170th and last in Europe) ahead of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Women's Nations Cup Finals, which will be the 12th edition of the regional tournament and won by New Zealand six timesthe last four in successionand former Oceania members Australia (three times) and Chinese Taipei (twice). New Zealand is already through to the 2023 Women's World Cup Finals as co-host while the best-placed team in the Oceania tournament (other than New Zealand, if they should win again as expected) would go on to the Intercontinental Playoffs, along with nine teams from the other confederations competing for two last spots in the 2023 Finals. The tour is also notable because, with the exception of New Zealand who have been able to hold men's and women's matches overseas (the Football Ferns women are currently playing in the U.S. SheBelieves Cup) Oceania countries haven't been able to leave the region for matches since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 due to border restrictions. Tahiti's Head of Women's Football at the Fdration Tahitienne de Football Stphanie Spielmann said that, with national team players based in France and one in America, the tour will be an important opportunity to get everyone together, "The team needs to leave Oceania to gain experience. This is a great opportunity for us to play against these two European countries. This will allow us to make progress and best target the areas to be worked on." Outside of the scheduled matches, the Tahiti team will also meet with local clubs and take part in cultural exchanges as part of the trip.

Note: In the upcoming few weeks, TribalFootball.com will talk with Trina Davis (20) of Fiji, the American-born forward who, as a high schooler, guided the team to the OFC Final last term, only to be blasted by New Zealand 8-0. Fiji defeated regional power Papua New Guinea 5-1 in the semifinals; PNG had finished second in the three previous editions and third in the four tournaments before that, behind both Australia and New Zealand. Davis recently turned professional and spent time in Israel and has been called into the national team program again this spring.

Member of Tahiti's national team at practice at home before their trip to much different weather conditions in Europe to play Luxembourg and Andorra in February 2022. (Photo courtesy of Federation Tahitienne de Football).

Tahiti, part of the overseas collective of French Polynesia, has strong roots to France as does New Caledonia, who hosted the last OFC Women's Nations Cup. On the men's side, Tahitian club teams have played in early rounds of the French Cup for years. This link is shown in their current side on tour, which is using seven players based with clubs in France and one from the States. The players in the roster (see below) that are in France are currently with AS Canejan (2), ES Mosheim Ernosheim, Montpellier, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lens. The California-born Delani Guyot played at Orange Coast Community College in the Greater Los Angeles area. Even for locally-based players, they have some distance to travel for camps in Tahiti as players for AS Jeunesse (two) and AS Team Fehiri (one) are in the Marquesas Islands, a 900-mile (3 hour) flight by plane to the capital city of Papette.

Tahiti fell 5-0 to Luxembourg on February 16 in Mamer. A second game between the two teams was held on in nearby Strasbourg in France three days later with Luxembourg winning 11-0 over the Oceania visitors.

This reporter has been closely covering the region in recent years and had extensive coverage in TribalFootball.com of the 2018 regional tournament that doubled as the 2019 Womens' World Cup Finals Qualifying tournament. It is a good thing to see an Oceania nation traveling to other confederations for friendly preparation matches. We wrote last month about Vietnam traveling to Spain for friendlies against second division club teams (which they did very well in) ahead of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup and ended up capturing a 2023 WWC spot for the first time, while the other debutantsthe Philippinesspent over two months training in California, as half of their squad currently play in the U.S. The question becomes for Oceania teams is whether they play club teams on tour like Vietnam did or international teams and, if the latter, what level of opponent they choose to play. Clearly the reason for Tahiti choosing teams in the lower 10% of UEFA teams was to stay competitive and more productive than playing a France, Sweden or even a mid-tier team like Poland, Slovenia or Turkey. This experience, plus the use of players with clubs abroad, should be advantageous in their regional competition. Tahiti will learn a lot from the conditionsplaying in cold conditions in Europe in Februarythe different style of play in Europe and other valuable lessons. Though COVID did damage to the island nations of Oceania over the past two years, the nations are putting more effort and resources into women's football. Long-time Wellington Phoenix player and former Barbadian international (originally born in Watford and who spent many years with Millwall) is now the women's national team coach of Samoa. We would like to see more teams travel and train ahead of the Oceania Finals this summer, even to New Zealand, Australia or Southeast Asia. We will continue to follow the preparations for as well as the Oceania Cup tournament later this year.

Tahiti's Women's National TeamLes Vahine Uraare touring Europe ahead of the Oceania Coupe des Nations Finals Tournament this summer. (Photo courtesy of Federation Tahitienne de Football).

Andorra, Tahiti's final opponent early next week, plays rarely and won their second ever game in September 2021 by defeating Lichtenstein 4-2 away, with a hat-trick by Tere Morat who plays with Villarreal in Spain's Liga Iberdrola (second tier). Andorra's first win came in 2014 against Gibraltar 1-0. Morat (23) was the first Andorran to ever play in the Spanish First Division, last year with Rayo Vallecano, scoring four goals in 28 games. She previously played with ENFAF Credit Andorra, the only women's side in the country, who play in the Spanish fourth division. Zoe Montero, from Spain's Levante Las Planas, is expected to make her debut with the full national team this month and scored the winning goal in her country's U-19 national team 1-0 win over Moldova last October.

Ahead of the match against Tahiti. Andorra defeated Gibraltar (who have not played enough games for a FIFA ranking) 4-1 on February 16 at home. This was their first home game in over three years since a 2-0 loss to Luxembourg in November of 2018.

Women's Africa Cup of Nations

The first leg of second round matches for the TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which doubles as CAF 2023 WWC qualifiers, were scheduled for February 16-18, with the return legs on February 21-23. Morocco is through to the Finals as hosts and Kenya withdrew in January ahead of the matches, giving Uganda a berth in the twelve-team Finals this summer. Bizarrely, this week the Kenya government's sport caretaker committee tried to have the Hamarbee Starlets reinstated to play Uganda because their withdrawal was due to "suspected fraud" (by federation officials) since the government hadn't approve the request but CAF denied the petition. Kenya's Football Federation is under threat of suspension by FIFA because of the government's intervention in the sport's governing body in the country. It is sad as Kenya has been improving on the women's football side and made the Confederation Finals in 2016 in Cameroon for the only time.

First Leg Results

February 16 Matches

February 17 Matches

February 18 Matches

With the second leg to be played next week, Cameroon (with an 8-goal advantage), Burundi (a 6-goal advantage) and Tunisia (5 goals up) should be confident as they head to the Gambia, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea, respectively for the away leg and should be home and dry for the Morocco Finals.

Burkina Faso has a healthy four goals advantage as they return home to face Guinea-Bissau and should also be through to the finals. Botswana also has an advantage (2 goals) as they return home after a 3-1 win in Harare.

Teams with narrow leads going into the return legs away include Senegal (1-0 over Mali), Togo (2-1 over Gabon) while South Africa and Nigeria travel with 2 goal advantages to Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire, respectively.

That leaves the one shocking result that we saw with the 0-0 tie at home for Zambia against Namibia. Zambia, Olympic Games Finalists last summer, was missing scoring star Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli of China) through injury while Rachel Kundananji (ED Eibar from Spain) and Zaragoza of Spain duo Hellen Mubanga and Racheal Nachula were not on the roster. The only other player based abroad that was on the squad besides Banda was Turkey-based midfielder Mizozi Zulu.

ZAMBIA SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Hazel Nali (Unattached), Ng'ambo Musole (Zesco Ndola Girls), Catherine Musonda (Indeni Roses), Eunice Sakala (Nkwazi Queens), Aisha Mbwana (Green Buffaloes)

DEFENDERS: Fridah Nalwamba (Police Doves), Margaret Belemu, (Red Arrows), Judith Soko (YASA Queens), Patricia Lampi, Martha Tembo, Agness Musesa, Lushomo Mweemba (all Green Buffaloes), Margaret Mulenga (Lusaka Dynamos), Esther Siamfuko (Queens Academy)

MIDFIELDERS: Misozi Zulu (Hakkarigucu Spor FC -Turkey), Ireen Lungu (Green Buffaloes), Elizabeth Mupeso, Thandiwe Nkhata, Naomi Phiri (Lusaka Dynamos), Esther Banda (BUSA), Mary Wilombe, Milika Limwanya (both Red Arrows), Marjory Mulenga (Zesco Ndola Girls), Evarine Susan Katongo (Luyando Girls Foundation)

STRIKERS: Lungowe Namasiku (ZISD), Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli), Grace Chanda, Ochumba Oseke Lubanji (both Red Arrows), Xiomala Mapepa (Lusaka Dynamos), Eneless Phiri (Police Doves), Theresa Chewe, Maylan Mulenga (both Green Buffaloes)

Namibia countered with their wonderful attacking player and team captain. Zenatha Coleman (28), who has played in Lithuania, for Zaragoza, Valencia and Sevilla in Spain and now with Fenerbahce in Turkey, where she has 5 goals in 3 games. She scored five goals in the last round helping her nation defeat Tanzania. Defender Veweziwa Kotjipati (29) has been playing minor division ball in Germany, which has strong historical ties to the nation. Defender Lovisa Mulunga was also called in from Albany State University (Georgia) in the States. If Namibia can win their home matchheld in neighboring South Africa (Johannesburg)they would advance to the finals for the first time since they were hosts in 2014.

Togo used a goal from Ami Reine Gake in the 29th minute to take the lead over Gabon, who evened the match through Jessy Ornella Mezui Obiang's header from Vanessa Mazaly's free kick in the 59th minute. Odette Gnintegma scored Togo's winner on the brink of full time and ensured the Female Sparrowhawks went to Libreville with 2-1 advantage. Gabon used primarily a home-based side.

Burundi defeated Djibouti 6-2 in Ngozi with braces by Rukiya Bizimana and Sandrine Niyonkuru's. Burundi seems a shoe-in for their first ever African Women's Finals berth, while Djibouti has also never made the Finals.

Senegal won 1-0 in Thiels over Mali with Nguenar Ndiaye's (ASF Grand Yoff at home) 73rd minute goal. Senegal brought in six players from Europe, including four France-based players (Safitou Sagna, Nguennar Ndiaye and Meta Camara) from Bourges and Astou Ngom from Cherbourg. Two more came in late from abroad: Mama Diop and Ndeye Awa Diakhat, to supplement the local players called into the squad:

1. NDEYE MEISSA DIAW, Lyce Ameth Fall St-Louis2. TENNING SENE AFA, Grand Yoff de Dakar3. THIABA GUEYE SENE, Eagles of the Medina of Dakar4. KHADY FAYE, US Parcelles Assainie Dakar5. NDIEME LO, Eagles of the Medina of Dakar6. NDEYE NDIAYE KANE, AFA Grand Yoff of Dakar7. MAME DIARRA DIOUF, US Parcelles Assainie Dakar8. MATY CISSOKHO, US Parcelles Assainie Dakar9. MBAYANG SOW, US Parcelles Assainie Dakar10. SALIMATA NDIAYE , Lyce Ameth Fall of St-Louis11. ANTA DEMBELE, US Parcelles Assainies Dakar12. AMINATA KANTE, Eagles of the Medina Dakar13. FATOUMATA DRAMA, Kaolack FC14. JEANNETTE DOMINIQUE SAGNA, Dakar Sacr Coeur15. KORKA FALL, Eagles of the Medina Dakar16. ADJAW EDMEE ONESIMA DIAGNE, Lyce Ameth Fall of St-Louis17. BINETA KORKEL SECK, Dakar Sacr Coeur18. MAREME BABOU, US Parcelles Assainie Dakar19. JEANNE COUMBA NIANG, Eagles of the Medina Dakar20. HABSATOU MALADO DIALLO, US Parcelles Assainies Dakar21. GLADYS IRENE DACOSTA, US Sanitized Plots Dakar22. FANTA SY, Dakar Sacred Heart23. ASTOU SY, Dakar Sacred Heart24. HABY BALDE, US Parcelles Assainies Dakar

Mali's roster included nine players based in France (with AS Cannes, AJ Auxerre, Ruel Malmaisson (2), VGA St. Maur, Monaco, Orleans, Guingamp, and Nimes, with three playing in Morocco (Al Itihad Tanger, Chabab Atlas Khenifra and Chabab Atlas) and one in Turkey (Fatih Karagumruk)see roster below.

The Gambia Queen Scorpions is participating in the TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for only the second time. During their debut appearance in the qualification campaign, they reached the last round of qualifying for Ghana 2018, where they lost to eventual champions Nigeria.

Head coach Mariama Sowe, said before the second round matches, "The captain Penda Bah is in town [she plays in the Nigerian Women's League] and we're expecting to have Adama Tamba [who moved to Grenoble of the French Second Division on loan this season from Gambia's Red Scorpions] before we travel, which will boost the morale of the girls. With their experience, I know they can help the team because Adama is the all-time leading goal scorer for The Gambia women's national team, while Penda Bah is the captain and a key player of the team, so both of them are used to the team."

The Gambia Football Federation and the Queen Scorpions head coach was aggressively trying to find players of Gambian descent in other nations to play for the team. Swedish-based forward Ida Mbaye (21) is one of the players called up recently and she plays in Gothenburg in Sweden and said about her call-up, "It's motivating because it's fun to have a good competition as well, so it would be exciting to meet them and, I think it would drive the girls even more to win the game. Another Gambian from Europe is Haleema Hamilton Froiland, who was born in Switzerland to a Gambian mother and now plays with FC Luzern of the Swiss Women's Super League (AWSL).

Nigerian Women's National Team Head Coach Randy Waldrum brought in 35 players to the camp to prepare for the qualifiers against Cote d'Ivoire. To reach this stage, nine-time African champions Nigeria edged the Black Queens of Ghana 2-1 on aggregate in October 2021. Waldrum has a number of players with clubs abroad, including three in Israel and one in MexicoUchenne Kanu of Tigreswho has been one of the success stories for imports in the country's women's league, which were allowed for the first time this season. Note: We will talk more about her later this month when we discuss the imports who have joined the Liga MX Femenil.

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Tochukwu Oluehi (Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel); Christy Ohiaeriaku (Sunshine Queens); Yewande Balogun (USA)

Defenders: Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Glory Ogbonna (Santa Teresa FC, Spain); Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ayomide Ojo (Edo Queens); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Joy Duru (Nasarawa Amazons); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)

Midfielders: Peace Efih (Kiryat Gat, Israel); Yetunde Aluko (WFC Ramat Hasharon, Israel); Amanda Mbadinuju (Bayelsa Queens); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna FC, Sweden); Grace Igboamalu (Bayelsa Queens); Toni Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels)

Forwards: Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint Etienne, France); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Desire Oparanozie (Dijon FC, France); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Juliet Bassey (Bayelsa Queens); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Uchenne Kanu (Tigres Femenil, Mexico); Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain)

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis named 24 players for South Africa's second round matches with Algeria. South Africa lost a friendly match 3-0 on February 12 against Zambia in Lusaka. Coach Ellis has brought in eight overseas based players joining the team that travelled to Zambia, for a total of nine based abroad for the important qualifier. The squad consists of a few changes with youngster Asanda Radebe (Sunflower FC) re-joining the team as a replacement for the injured Noxolo Cesane (who has played in the Western Cape Sasol League for Cape Town Roses and spent time with East Tennessee State University in the States.

Banyana Banyana 24-woman squad to face Algeria

Goalkeepers:

Defenders:

Midfielders:

Forwards:

Defender Karabo Dhlamini is playing at Division 1 Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) and captained South Africa at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay in 2018. She was also with the national team at their Women's World Cup debut in France in 2019 and scored 3 goals from the back in 20 games at Oakland U. in 2021.

A surprise omission from Ellis' squad was forward Ode Fulutudilu (32), who plays at Glasgow City in Scotland and scored in a 2-0 win against Celtic on February 10. Glasgow City is second in the league with 41 pointstwo points behind leaders Glasgow Rangers (43 points with a game in hand) while Glasgow Celtic is third on 36 points. Fulutudilu also played on the 2019 WWC side in France and has played for clubs in South Africa, Spain and Finland. Letago Madiba (30), who is playing well in Turkey with Fatih Vatansport, could also be one brought in for a camp before the Finals if they make it to Morocco.

Desiree Ellis said after her team's 2-0 first leg win over Algeria, about the return leg away, "They are two-nil down, they will be different [in the second leg]. We have to make sure we don't concede because we will always create the chances. If they do open the game up, the speed of our players up front and the quick rotation of the ball would create more openings. If we keep a clean sheet and score the first goal then you can say the tie is almost over."

In Tunisia's 5-0 win over Equatorial Guinea Mariem Houij from ALG Spor in Turkey has been playing very well at the club level, scoring 14 goals in 9 games so far this season. Equatorial Guinea's Jade Boko Sayo (35 and originally born in Spain) has four goals with Servette, who are on track to win their second consecutive league title in Switzerland and made it to the Round of 16 this season in their first ever European Champions League campaign.

Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women's football. Get yours copy today.

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The Week in Women's Football: Tahiti goes to Europe; Women's Africa Cup of Nations - Tribal Football

Contributed February 21, 2022

DOVER-FOXCROFT The Center Theater has announced that auditions for the musical version of Disneys Moana Jr. will take place on Friday, March 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.

DOVER-FOXCROFT The Center Theater has announced that auditions for the musical version of Disneys Moana Jr. will take place on Friday, March 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, the 5th from 3 to 5 p.m. at Central Hall, 152 East Main Street. Vaccinated kids between the ages of 6 and 18 are encouraged to audition. No advance preparation or experience is required.

The 60-minute musical adventure, designed for school-aged performers, is based on the 2016 Disney film Moana. The production is being directed by Nathan Roach with vocal direction by Olga Maselli. Opening night will be Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. with a total of seven performances over two weekends.

We havent been able to do a spring kids production in a couple years because of COVID, said Patrick Myers, executive director of the Center Theater, So the fact that were able to plan for Moana Jr. this spring is a hopeful sign that things are beginning to get back towards normal. Even so, given the high case counts in our community, we are still taking some common-sense precautions.

Myers said these precautions include requiring all cast members to be vaccinated against COVID 19. Its a practical decision, he said, we required vaccinations for our previous show in December and took a risk on an exception to that rule. Because of that exception we almost had to cancel the entire show. Given the amount of time, money, and energy that goes into these performances, we must do all we can to ensure the physical health of the performers and financial health of the Theatre. Hopefully as case counts continue to drop, well be able to drop this requirement for future productions. But in the meantime, were looking forward to escaping to Oceania with Moana Jr.

Moana Jr. is a thrilling and heartwarming stage adaptation of the coming-of-age tale of Moana as she sets sail across the Pacific to save her village and discover the truth about her heritage. She and the demigod Maui embark on an epic journey of self-discovery and camaraderie as she learns to harness the power that lies within. Adapted for young performers, this musical includes favorite songs by Tony, GRAMMY, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foai, and Mark Mancina, such as How Far Ill Go, Shiny, and Youre Welcome.

For information on the upcoming auditions visit http://www.CenterTheatre.org or call the Center Theater at 207-564-8943. Disneys Moana Jr. is presented through special arrangement with and all materials are provided by Music Theater International. The Center Theatre for the Performing Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to make arts, education, and entertainment accessible to our rural communities to engage and inspire.

Music Theater International is one of the worlds leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theater as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theater and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTIs Broadway Junior shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTIs School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

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Set sail with 'Moana Jr.' at the Center Theatre - observer-me.com