DESIGNED to help faster unity among African countries and aid the development of the game, as well as help in the development of organized women's league within member countries, the 3rd African Women Championship begins this week.

Defending champions Nigeria has an uptill task surviving the stiff opposition that Ghana, Mali and Ethiopia will try to pose in Group A in Warri. The group opens the championship on December 7. Nigeria takes on Ethiopia while Ghana battles Mali on the same day.

In Group B the next day, South Africa, finalists against Nigeria two yeas ago, meet Cameroun while Zimbabwe and Angola file out immediately after for the second match of the day.

Since the inception of women football over a decade ago in Africa, Nigeria had met Ghana six times. The Super Falcons had subdued the Ghanaians five times and drawing one. In 1991, Nigeria's Falcons beat the Ghana Black Queens 5-1 and 2-1 home and away on the way to representing Africa at the Women's World Cup in China. Nigeria again re-asserted it's supremacy when Super Falcons beat the Black Queens 3-0 and 2-0 away and home respectively on the march to the Sweden '95 World Cup. Then the last two meetings have been at the African Women Championship in 1998 final won by Nigeria 2-0 and the 2000 edition in South Africa where their group game ended 2-2 to give Ghana its best outing against Nigeria. That pre-supposes that Ghana has made gradual in-road primarily to bridge the gap.

Nigeria has never met Ethiopia, meaning this is the opportunity although the standard and level of the game reached by Ethiopians are unknown here. However, Nigeria and Mali have had just one meeting last year but only at the U-19 level. Nigeria won that encounter 4-0. That sets the stage for the women to go to war for national pride. Despite Nigeria's dominance of the game on the continent, Ghana looks set to upset the apple cart having made in-roads. At Nigeria '98 the Black Queens placed second to Nigeria and only slackened to third place in the final ranking at South Africa 2000. Strikingly, Mali and Ethiopia are in the championship the first time and will only march to get in foothold, if they can beat Nigeria or Ghana.

In Group B, South Africa and Cameroun are making their third .A.W.C. finals, just like Nigeria and Ghana. The record itself provides a battle-ground for the two nations to try to win the semi final slots from the group, over Angola and Zimbabwe. On record, Cameroun beat South Africa 3-2 at Nigeria '98. That alone is the tonic for a South African revenge mission as the 2000 edition did not give them such chance meeting. Zimbabwe too will seek to avenge the 2000 loss 1-2 to South Africa and Nigeria as a neutral ground could very easily be the opportunity. The Zimbabweans need to achieve just that. Only Angola appear outsiders in the group being new comers to the championship but that is not to say they lack ambition having qualifying for the finals. Indeed, they are more than hungry to perform in this setting as their men have done.

More than that, the women play not only to win, but with eyes open to study and understand levels achieved by others. That's because no one is taking women football as past time or leisure. That is no more. The game has far moved beyond the expectation of all. Today, Nigeria and a few others can boast of an organised female league played home and away. that provides a source of living and gone one step up with many going professional in much more organised leagues outside the continent. With women football affording countries chance of the World Cup and Olympic Games to compete for honours, the urge and determination have become more daring. The exposure these affords each individual players and nation may pride have informed the growing desire by nations to do more.

Today, CAF has gone a step further by instituting the African Female Player of the Year Award, just like FIFA has done and this gives any talented player a platform for recognition and road to fame.