Gabon’s elimination from Women’s AFCON Morocco 2022 qualification: bad for good
(Graphics by FEGAFOOT)
LIBREVILLE, March 10, 2022 - The Gabonese women’s national team failed to qualify for the Women’s AFCON 2022 after they were beaten 2-4 on aggregate by Togo in the second round of the qualifiers. The second leg of the tie on February 23 in Libreville, which ended 1-2 in favour of Togo, marked the end of the road for the Panthers who must now be taken seriously by the country's leaders in the future.
The scenario so desired did not happen. The cries of joy and sounds of vuvuzelas were not heard at the end of the second match between Gabon and Togo at the Monedan Stadium in Sibang. The Togolese visitors decided to spoil the party by inflicting yet another defeat on the Panthers, with the same score as the first game in Lome. Throughout that week, the Togolese team, through its coach, had boasted of its status as favourites. They were sure of their clear superiority and seemed better informed about the level of their opponents.
The Togolese did not come to Libreville with fear in their stomachs. This was quite the opposite of the Panthers, whose preparations for such a match was done with lightness. The team coached by Tristan Mombo never got a real look from the Gabonese authorities throughout this qualification campaign, to push them to the top and snatch this historic qualification to the Women’s AFCON.
In other countries, we would have felt a certain enthusiasm and fervor to help the teammates of Vanessa Mazaly make the difference at home. Unfortunately, fate or rather the Togolese decided otherwise. This elimination of Gabon, at the feet of happiness will therefore have the consequence of sending all these young girls into oblivion, knowing the current situation of sport in Gabon for these last two years. On the other hand, it will allow the technical staff and the leaders to sit down and prepare better for future events. Qualifying for such a high-level tournament, as the AFCON, without competitions or championships, would have been a very bad signal, since this Gabonese team could probably have "exploded" in Rabat against stronger nations such as Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana or Nigeria. The time for reconstruction has come now.
The scenario so desired did not happen. The cries of joy and sounds of vuvuzelas were not heard at the end of the second match between Gabon and Togo at the Monedan Stadium in Sibang. The Togolese visitors decided to spoil the party by inflicting yet another defeat on the Panthers, with the same score as the first game in Lome. Throughout that week, the Togolese team, through its coach, had boasted of its status as favourites. They were sure of their clear superiority and seemed better informed about the level of their opponents.
The Togolese did not come to Libreville with fear in their stomachs. This was quite the opposite of the Panthers, whose preparations for such a match was done with lightness. The team coached by Tristan Mombo never got a real look from the Gabonese authorities throughout this qualification campaign, to push them to the top and snatch this historic qualification to the Women’s AFCON.
In other countries, we would have felt a certain enthusiasm and fervor to help the teammates of Vanessa Mazaly make the difference at home. Unfortunately, fate or rather the Togolese decided otherwise. This elimination of Gabon, at the feet of happiness will therefore have the consequence of sending all these young girls into oblivion, knowing the current situation of sport in Gabon for these last two years. On the other hand, it will allow the technical staff and the leaders to sit down and prepare better for future events. Qualifying for such a high-level tournament, as the AFCON, without competitions or championships, would have been a very bad signal, since this Gabonese team could probably have "exploded" in Rabat against stronger nations such as Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana or Nigeria. The time for reconstruction has come now.
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