Häuptle criticises CAF tiebreak rules after Zambia’s WAFCON exit

COPPER Queens coach Nora Häuptle has criticised the CAF head-to-head tiebreak rule that eliminated Zambia from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations despite the team finishing the group stage on six points. Zambia was eliminated from Group B after CAF applied Article 71.2 of the WAFCON regulations to separate three teams that finished level on

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COPPER Queens coach Nora Häuptle has criticised the CAF head-to-head tiebreak rule that eliminated Zambia from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations despite the team finishing the group stage on six points.

Zambia was eliminated from Group B after CAF applied Article 71.2 of the WAFCON regulations to separate three teams that finished level on points.

Zambia, Malawi and Nigeria each ended on six points. Under the regulations, when three or more teams are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is points obtained in matches among the tied teams.

All three teams collected three points in the mini-league, so CAF moved to the second tiebreaker — goal difference in those matches. The teams again remained level with a goal difference of zero each.

The third tiebreaker, goals scored in matches between the three teams, then decided the standings. Malawi advanced as group winners with four goals, Nigeria finished second with three goals, and Zambia was eliminated with two goals.

The outcome meant Malawi progressed, Nigeria advanced as runners-up, and Zambia went out despite beating Malawi 2-1 in the final group match. Zambia finished with two wins and one defeat — a 6-0 win over Egypt, a 2-1 win over Malawi, and a 1-0 loss to Nigeria.

Häuptle questioned the fairness of the system.

“We know the regulations, we were prepared, we knew we needed to have two goals’ difference. We got six points in this group like Nigeria and Malawi, we scored the most goals in this group, we conceded the least goals in this group,” she said.

“Sometimes I am not sure if we do the right things with this kind of regulations because it feels completely weird that we are out.”

Zambia finished the group with the most goals scored and the fewest conceded overall, but the head-to-head calculations meant the 1-0 defeat to Nigeria ultimately cost the Copper Queens a place in the knockout stage.

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