The stage is set for the second round of African qualifying for the Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024 as the first-leg matches are played across the continent from Wednesday.
As the journey for the tournament to be played in the French capital is gathering pace, the continent's football fans are bracing themselves for thrilling encounters.
With the continent's four representatives from last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup now entering the fray, intrigue builds around who will secure the coveted spots in Paris.
This pivotal phase of the qualifiers, scheduled to run from October 25th to October 31st, will feature Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia who represented Africa in Australia & New Zealand.
Five African countries have participated in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament since its debut in Atlanta in 1996 with Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe being the countries to have featured.
As the two spots for the 2024 Paris edition remain up for grabs, CAF's representatives will be known in April 2024 setting the stage for tough qualifiers with a focus on the countries that played at the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Nigeria vs. Ethiopia:
Nigeria, the only African nation to have participated in the Women’s Olympic Tournament three times, are gearing up for their 2024 qualifying campaign against Ethiopia.
The Super Falcons, who faced an unfortunate exit at the last 16 stage in the 2023 Women's World Cup, aim to rediscover their scoring prowess against Ethiopia, a team that has yet to qualify for a major global competition.
Congo DR vs. South Africa:
Reigning African champions South Africa will clash with Congo DR. South Africa's Banyana Banyana, who have made two prior Olympic appearances, hope to continue their journey with strikers like Hildah Magaia and Thembi Kgatlana expected to lead the attack of their country against Congo DR are chasing their first Olympic ticket.
Namibia vs. Morocco:
Namibia and Morocco face-off, both in pursuit of their first Olympic qualification. Morocco, fresh from an impressive Women's World Cup debut, is filled with newfound confidence following a successful run at the global stage and are favoured over their opponents.
Remaining Second Round Fixtures:
- Uganda vs. Cameroon
- Benin vs. Ghana
- Tanzania vs. Botswana
- Zambia, having automatically advanced to the third round due to Mali's withdrawal, now await their next challenge.
The road to Paris 2024 doesn't end here. The competition intensifies with the third round, featuring the eight victorious teams from the second round, competing in home-and-away fixtures.
The ultimate prize awaits in the fourth round, where the four victorious teams from the third round will face off in two home-and-away clashes, with two golden tickets to the Olympic Games up for grabs.
The Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, is set to run from July 25th to August 10th.
Africa's finest will now battle it out for their place on the world's biggest sporting stage. The journey is just beginning, but the destination is the Olympic dream.
Full second-round fixtures
Ethiopia v Nigeria
First leg on 25 October (15:30) Abebe Bekila Stadium, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Second leg on 31 October (16:00) MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja (Nigeria)
Congo DR v South Africa
First leg on 25 October (15:30) Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa (Congo DR)
Second leg on 30 October (16:00) Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg (South Africa)
Uganda v Cameroon
First leg on 26 October (16:00) FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru (Uganda)
Second leg on 31 October (17:00) Reunification Stadium, Douala (Cameroon)
Tanzania v Botswana
First leg on 26 October (16:00) Azam Complex Stadium, Chamazi (Tanzania)
Second leg on 31 October (18:00) National Stadium, Gaborone (Botswana)
Uganda v Cameroon
First leg on 26 October (16:00) FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru (Uganda)
Second leg on 31 October (17:00) Reunification Stadium, Douala (Cameroon)
Namibia v Morocco
First leg on 26 October (18:00) Independence Stadium, Windhoek (Namibia)
Second leg on 31 October (19:00) Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay, Rabat (Morocco)
Benin v Ghana
First leg on 27 October (17:00) Stade de l'Amitie General Mathieu Kerekou, Cotonou (Benin)
Second leg on 31 October (15:30) Accra Sports Stadium, Accra (Ghana)
Cote d'Ivoire v Tunisia
First leg on 25-27 October (--:--) To be confirmed, To be confirmed (Cote d'Ivoire)
Second leg on 31 October (16:00) Stade de Solimane, Solimane (Tunisia)
Source: CAF