Twiga begin WAFCON journey
MOROCCO: THE stage is set, the lights are on and Tanzania’s national women’s football team, Twiga Stars, are ready to make their mark as they begin their 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) journey tonight with a crucial Group C showdown against a formidable Mali side.
The match will be held at the Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco, which is proudly hosting this year’s prestigious continental tournament.
With anticipation soaring and competition fierce, all eyes will be on the Twiga Stars as they aim to kick off their campaign on a high note.
While the team enters the tournament full of ambition, they face a significant early challenge with the absence of three key players.
Prolific striker Aisha Masaka has been sidelined due to injury, while team captain Opa Clement and midfield anchor Christer Bahera are both serving suspensions after picking up yellow cards during the qualifiers.
The loss of these experienced players is expected to test the squad’s depth and adaptability.
However, Head Coach Bakari Shime remains optimistic and is set to deploy a revised tactical approach, giving emerging talents a chance to shine on Africa’s biggest women’s football stage.
This evening’s clash marks a renewal of a budding rivalry.
The last time Tanzania and Mali met was in May of last year during a thrilling friendly at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, which ended in a spirited 2-2 draw.
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That result adds an extra layer of intrigue to what promises to be a tightly contested affair under the Moroccan skies.
Twiga Stars have been drawn into a highly competitive Group C, which features West African heavyweights Ghana, tonight’s opponents Mali and defending champions South Africa.
Advancing from such a tough group will require not only technical brilliance but also immense mental strength and consistency.
The stakes are higher than ever at this year’s WAFCON following a historic move by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to double the total prize money, signalling a bold new era for women’s football across the continent.
The winner of WAFCON 2025 will now take home a record 2.58bn/-, reflecting the growing recognition and support for women’s football on the continent.
The runner-up will receive half of that amount, totalling approximately 784m/-.
Meanwhile, each of the four teams that reach the quarter-final stage will be awarded 522.7m/-.
Group stage teams are also set to benefit financially. Teams that finish third in their groups will pocket 392m/- each, while those finishing fourth (from the three groups) will each receive 326.67m/-.
This robust financial structure is aimed at encouraging competitiveness across all stages of the tournament and rewarding performance at every level.
Altogether, the total prize money to be distributed throughout the competition stands at 9.08 bn/-, underlining CAF’s commitment to elevating women’s football in Africa.
