AWCON 2018: South Africa, Nigeria coaches applaud Ghana's hosting of the competition

The coaches of Nigeria’s Super Falcons and the Bayana Bayana of South Africa have both praised Ghana’s Local Organisation Committee and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for staging what they described as one of the best Africa Women’s Championship on the continent.

The two finalists said they were left impressed with the meticulous nature with which Ghana executed the hosting of the 8-team tournament which run from November 17 to December 1.

Ghana for the first time hosted the most prestigious women’s football competition on the African continent and despite the fact that the Black Queens crashed out of the competition in the Group Stages, the LOC never relented in executing a fantastic tournament.

Nigeria and South Africa progressed to the finals of the tournament with the Super Falcons beating South Africa on penalties to successfully defend the title they won two years ago in Cameroon.

At the post-match press conference at the Accra sports stadium last Saturday, the coaches of the two countries had only kind word for the LOC and CAF for a successful hosting of the tournament.

“The Ghanaian people have been very welcoming and fantastic. Wherever we went we were welcomed with open arms when we arrived and in that way, I say Ghana has really raised the level because in Cameroon two years ago it wasn’t like that and again we were really happy that the fans were at the fields”, South Africa coach Desiree Ellis said.

Oh his part, the coach of Nigeria Thomas Dennerby said “if you look at the tournament, the organization they have done really well. Good hotels and accommodation, food, buses almost everything was under control so we have no complains at all. I have been to two World Cups, two European championships, two Olympic Games and I can’t say that there is something in the organization that I miss here that wasn’t in the other big tournament that I went to before. So I will say a big thank you to the organizers and you have really done a good job.”

Cameroon who finished 3rd in the competition will join winners Nigeria and runners-up, South Africa, as Africa’s representatives at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to be staged in France.