The Perth African Nations Cup has been contested for well over a decade and has grown in stature each year. Played in front of exuberant and knowledgeable fans it is a true festival of football.
Organised by the Perth African Nations Sporting Association this event and others like it do a great deal to bring together the African community and unite them through sport. They work hard at encouraging individuals to leave their differences behind and express themselves on the field of play.
Once again in 2022 every game was keenly contested. There were decisions that were hard to accept, there were upsets and there were moments of joy and despair, just as there were all of these things in Qatar 2022. Such is the joy of football.
The final day of competition saw the first ever women’s final played and contested by the only two teams to enter. It is hoped more will sign up in 2023.
Next came the Masters final, where the experienced players show that their minds are still sharp in terms of reading the play, even if their bodies are not as willing. Congo were looking to win back-to-back titles, standing in their way was a Nigerian team that had already defeated them in their Pool match. Who would come out on top this time around?
In a change of format the next teams to take centre stage at Olympic Kingsway were the two sides playing off for third place in the senior competition. Liberia had been expected to win their semi-final against Djibouti the previous week but lost their first game of the tournament and now faced Algeria. Would the disappointment of missing out on a second consecutive final affect their performance or would Algeria suffer the backlash?
Next up was the Juniors final where Sudan were looking to claim back-to-back titles. With the junior team being the only team from Sudan to make a final there was both pressure and expectation on these young players to deliver for the community they were representing. Liberia were their opponents and they had shown in their semi final the week before that they had the players to match Sudan. This was expected to be a tight match and the first half proved to go according to the script. The second half was a completely different matter…
The final match of a long day saw 2021 Champions South Sudan meet Djibouti in the final of the seniors competition. It would be fair to say that Djibouti were the underdogs going into this match but having defeated the highly fancied Liberia were not a team to be taken lightly. The key for South Sudan was to get the opening goal and force their opponent to chase the game. If Djibouti scored first then that would really force South Sudan to attack.
This is a fantastic event and the volunteers that make it possible should take a bow. This year PANSA had Tony Ashton driving the event and he did a great job, and has earned a break over the festive season.
If you want to be a part of any of the competitions in 2023 then be sure to contact Perth African Nations Sporting Association. If you are interested in sponsoring the tournament or the livestream do the same.
So, until next year marka xiga as they say in Somali, Oge ọzọ in Igbo, wakati mwingine in Swahili and iraha deui in Sudanese.
