Tunisia's arrivistes take on South Africa's royalty for Cup of Nations prizes
Such are the vicissitudes at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations that a team can lose two matches in the pool stages and yet ponder participation in the World Cup.
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Tunisia can exploit the quirks of the inaugural 12-team Cup of Nations on Thursday night when they take on South Africa in Rabat.
From 1991 as the African Women's Championship through the name change to the Cup of Nations, eight teams played in two groups of four. The top two went into the knockout stages to produce a winner - usually Nigeria.
The 2020 extravaganza was scheduled to debut the extended format, but the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that event.
In the 13th edition – the first to be held in North Africa – a country from that region can profit from advancing to the last eight as one of the two best third-placed teams.
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With the 2022 event doubling up as qualifers for the 32-nation World Cup next year in Australia and New Zealand, a huge bonus awaits for the four semi-finalists.
"It's a wonderful dream," said Tunisia midfielder Imen Troudi. "Just one match and you will be qualified for the World Cup. That's why we will give more than 100 percent against South Africa."
Even defeat will not terminate the World Cup quest. The four losing quarter-finalists will feature in a repechage in Morocco for two places in the intercontinental play-offs for the World Cup.
"The women's team is one game away from emulating the men's side and going to the World Cup," said coach Samir Landolsi.
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"That's incredible after so many years where teams haven't done so well."
Something of an understatement. Tunisia have played in only one of the 13 continental tournaments. And when they did in 2008, they were eliminated after the group stage.
"The first goal was to reach the Cup of Nations," added Landolsi. "And then reach the knockout stages for the first time.
"We've done that and now we've got this chance to go to the World Cup."
It would be a feat. South Africa finished the group stages with a perfect record including a morale boosting opening day victory over the defending champions Nigeria.
Momentum
Burundi were pulverized before a gritty win over Botswana.
On each of the 10 occasions that South Africa has reached the last eight at the Cup of Nations, sides have advanced to the semi-finals. There have been five finals too.
But each of those showdowns have ended in disappointment. They have lost twice to Equatorial Guinea and three times to Nigeria, most recently in 2018.
"The quarter-final will have nothing to do with ranking," warned South Africa coach Desiree Ellis. who skippered the side to a runners-up spot in the 2000 African Women's Championships.
"It will have nothing to do with who did what in the group stages. Tunisia will be a difficult opponent because they have qualities. They are not going to stand around and let us do what we want."
Victory on Thursday at the Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium will continue an impressive sequence for South Africa at the Cup of Nations and furnish them with a second consecutive appearance at the World Cup.
It will further burnish Ellis's legend. A player in South Africa's first international women's team in 1993, she led the side to the 2002 Cosafa Cup before retiring and became the first coach to steer a team to the World Cup.
"It's never about me, it's about the team," she insisted. "But not in my wildest imagination back when I was playing could I have ever dreamed of this.
"But I have huge support from technical staff and to be on the verge of this milestone would not have been achieved without them."
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