# 2000 African Women's Championship

The 2000 African Women's Championship was the 4th edition of the biennial African women's association football tournament organized by Confederation of African Football and the second to be hosted by a country. It was held in South Africa between 11 and 25 November 2000.
Nigeria won their 4th title, beating South Africa 2–0 in a final which got abandoned at the 73rd minute.

## Qualification

South Africa as hosts and Nigeria as title holders qualified automatically, while the remaining six spots were determined by the qualification rounds which took place between June and August 2000.

### Format

Qualification took place on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If aggregate scores were tied after the second leg, the away goals rule would apply, even adding the penalty shoot-out if scores were still level. No extra time period was used.
The six winners of the qualification round qualified for the group stage.

#### Preliminary round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Réunion | w/o | Kenya | — | — |

##### Notes

* ↑ Réunion advanced to the qualification round after Kenya withdrew.
* ↑ Réunion won by default and qualified for the qualification round.

#### Qualification round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Réunion | 5–4 | Egypt | 4–3 | 1–1 |
| Gabon | w/o | Cameroon | 0–3 | — |
| Morocco | 6–1 | Algeria | 3–0 | 3–1 |
| Zimbabwe | 8–0 | Lesotho | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Sierra Leone | w/o | Ghana | — | — |
| Uganda | w/o | DR Congo | — | — |

##### Notes

* ↑ Gabon failed to show for the second leg.
* ↑ DR Congo withdrew.
* ↑ Sierra Leone withdrew.
First leg on 29–30 July; Second leg on 11–13 August.
Réunion won 5–4 on aggregate and qualified for the group stage.
Cameroon won by default and qualified for the group stage after Gabon failed to show up for the second leg.
Morocco won 6–1 on aggregate and qualified for the group stage.
Zimbabwe won 8–0 on aggregate and qualified for the group stage.
Ghana won by default and qualified for the group stage.
Uganda won by default and qualified for the group stage.

### Qualified teams

Réunion, Uganda and Zimbabwe made their tournament debut at this edition. Zimbabwe originally entered this tournament's inaugural edition, but withdrew before playing any match.
| Team | Appearance | Previous best appearance |
| Cameroon | 3rd | Runners-up (1991) |
| Ghana | 4th | Runners-up (1998) |
| Morocco | 2nd | Group stage (1998) |
| Nigeria | 4th | Champions (1991, 1995, 1998) |
| Réunion | 1st | Debut |
| South Africa (hosts) | 3rd | Runners-up (1995) |
| Uganda | 1st | Debut |
| Zimbabwe | 1st | Debut |

## Match officials
### Referees

The following referees were named for this edition of the tournament:
* Ondo Akono
* Scholastica Tetteh
* Justine Rasoanirina
* Bola Abidoye
* Bolanle Sekiteri
* Fatou Gaye
* Catherine Adipo
* Sabelo Sibindi

## Group stage
### Tiebreakers

If two or more teams in the group stage are tied on points tie-breakers are in order:
* greater number of points in matches between tied teams
* superior goal difference in matches between tied teams
* greater number of goals scored in matches between tied teams
* superior goal difference in all group matches
* greater number of goals scored in all group matches
* fair play criteria based on red and yellow cards received
* drawing of lots

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Africa (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Uganda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Réunion | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | |
* 1 2 Tied on head-to-head points. Overall goal difference: Zimbabwe 0, Uganda −2.

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Ghana | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Morocco | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 0 | |
* 1 2 Tied on head-to-head points. Overall goal difference: Nigeria +9, Ghana +5.

## Knockout stage

A match at the third-place match with a levelled score at the end of 90 minutes would go to an extra time of 30 minutes is played and followed by a penalty shoot-out if necessary.

### Bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 21 November - Boksburg | 21 November - Boksburg |
| South Africa | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 | 25 November - Boksburg | 25 November - Boksburg |
| Ghana | 0 | 25 November - Boksburg | 25 November - Boksburg |
| Ghana | 0 | Nigeria | 2 |
| 21 November - Johannesburg | 21 November - Johannesburg | | Nigeria | 2 |
| 21 November - Johannesburg | 21 November - Johannesburg | South Africa | 0 |
| Nigeria | 6 | South Africa | 0 |
| Zimbabwe | 0 | | |
| Zimbabwe | 0 | Third place play-off | Third place play-off |
| | | 24 November - Boksburg | 24 November - Boksburg |
| | | Ghana | 6 |
| | | Zimbabwe | 3 |

### Final

$^1$ The match was abandoned in the 73rd minute with Nigeria leading 2–0 after fans started throwing objects at the referee following the second goal, with riot police arriving 40 minutes later and firing tear gas in the crowds; fans needed hospital treatment and cars belonging to journalists were attacked as they were leaving the stadium. The result stood as final.

## Awards

* 2000 African Women's Championship winners
* Nigeria 4th title

## Statistics
### Team statistics

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Nigeria | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | +17 | 13 |
| 2 | South Africa | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 12 |
| 3 | Ghana | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 10 |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | –9 | 4 |
| Eliminated in the group stage ||||||||||
| 5 | Uganda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | –2 | 4 |
| 6 | Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | –2 | 3 |
| 7 | Réunion | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | –5 | 0 |
| 8 | Morocco | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | –12 | 0 |

### Goalscorers
#### 7 goals

* Mercy Akide

#### 3 goals

* Elizabeth Baidu
* Adjoa Bayor
* Kikelomo Ajayi
* Maureen Mmadu
* Olaitan Yusuf
* Precious Mpala

#### 2 goals

* Mavis Dgajmah
* Rita Nwadike
* Makhosi Luthuli
* Veronica Phewa
* Joanne Solomon
* Nomsa Moyo

#### 1 goal

* Bernadette Anong
* Antoinette Anounga
* Lydienne Eko Njolle
* Desire Enama Abbe
* Memuna Darku
* Gloria Foriwaa
* Nana Gyamfuah
* Sheila Okine
* Alberta Sackey
* Nadia Maqdi
* Stella Mbachu
* Rachelle Lecoutre
* Florence Mussard
* Desiree Ellis
* Hilda Lekalakala
* Martha Malaku
* Oliver Mbekeka
* Alaisa Nakawagi
* Annet Nakimbugwe
* Robina Nakintu
* Thandekile Mathobela
* Yesmore Mutero
* Florence Nyerukai