How the Player of the Match awards are decided at the WAFCON

A member of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Technical Study Group (TSG) has disclosed how they are analysing the tournament underway in Morocco.

The Confederation of African (CAF) unveiled the TSG for the delayed continental finals with Raul Chipenda as the leader. The team comprises South Africans Shilene Booysen, Leah Sweetness, Sheryl Botes, Lamia Boumehdi (Morocco), Clementine Touré (Ivory Coast), Jacqueline Shipanga (Namibia), Clementine Touré (Côte d’Ivoire), Radia Fertoul (Algeria) and Bernadette Anong (Cameroon).

Booysen has since explained to CAF media that the panel will share technical and tactical insights on all 26 matches while also producing a post-tournament technical report.

“It brings new teams together, the favourites together and the huge investments made. It brings data and analysis and trends that will spark a new revolution in the women’s game,” she explained.

The South African then stated how TSG is analysing teams and individual players:

“The game will be analysed in phases. If you are looking at the attacking phase, we look at goals scored, chances created and set-pieces,” Booysen added.

“And in the defensive phase, tackles made, blocks made, how many expected goals against. For the individuals, we are looking at the speed off the mark, the physicality and fitness levels.”

The group’s mandate is very critical as it analyses playing formations and systems while also determining stand-out performers to come up with players of the match and best XI of the group stages and overall tournament.

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