Emmanuel Faith unveils his choices of the most memorable moments in women’s football during 2023 (31/12/23).
Above: Spain lift the World Cup after defeating England in the Final this August. Photo: FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Where were you when Sam Kerr scored a rocket at the World Cup semifinals in Stadium Australia? Were you in the stands? Did you watch the match at the bar or were you in front of your TV?
2023 will be remembered as a monumental year for women’s football. From the record-breaking experiences at the FIFA World Cup to mind-blowing performances at club level, and individual displays that left the world agape, this is an attempt to remind you of some memorable moments in 2023 in no particular order.
Grab your drink, get some tacos, and let’s journey together.
Finalissima 2023: It was the first time UEFA organized a female Finalissima- a match that saw the European champions, England match up with the reigning CONMEBOL champion, Brazil. It was record-breaking with 83,132 football fans seated in the prestigious Wembley Stadium. You could talk about the electric atmosphere, the chanting fans from all sides of the ground, and the thrill and intensity that pushed the match to penalties where England won 4-2 but the first Finalissima has set a bar.
Barcelona winning the UWCL: It wasn’t that they won the Champions League Final it was how they won it. It’s not every time you see a come-back from a two-goal deficit, especially in a final but Barcelona did this against VfL Wolfsburg. Two quick second-half goals by Patri Guijarro ensured Barcelona was level five minutes into the second half and they went ahead after Fridolina Rolfo capitalized on a defensive error to ensure her team won their second UWCL title in three years.
Chelsea beating Manchester United to win the FA Cup: It was an intense match. Manchester United had chased Chelsea down to the last day of the WSL, only missing out on the title by two points so the FA Cup looked like a chance for perfect revenge. They came with full intent in the first half and threw all they got at a rather resilient Chelsea who didn’t cave into any pressure. It was however Chelsea’s time to shine in the second half when Sam Kerr connected with a well-laid pass from the soon-to-depart Pernille Harder and slotted home a perfect goal. She proceeded to do her eye-catching backflip celebrations in front of 77,390 spectators at Wembley to create a moment that every Chelsea fan and neutral will cherish.
The “Las 15”: The Las 15, a group of 15 Spanish players demanded changes to the national team structure and deliberately made themselves unavailable for selection after last year’s Euros while directing their complaint to Jorge Vilda. After an arduous back and forth, three of them, including the current Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati came back to the team, but the year’s later scandal with Rubiales proved that the Las 15 were justified.
Zambia beating Germany 3-2: The season was over and different countries organized friendlies as they prepared for the World Cup but no one could have predicted Zambia beating Germany in a five-goal thriller that saw three goals after the 90th minute mark. The Chipopolo’s striker Barbara Banda opened the scoring with a 48th-minute strike and Rachel Kudanaji doubled the lead six minutes afterwards. Germany made some changes, changed their tactics, and knocked on the Zambians’ door ferociously until their defence caved in the 91st minute via Lea Schuller’s header.
A lot of changes, injuries, and stoppages meant there were 10 minutes extra time, which was enough time for more drama. Alex Popp connected with a cross from Svenja Huth in the 100th minute to seemingly salvage a draw. Everyone thought the game was over and were waiting for the final whistle but Germany kept the ball in play pushing for an equalizer and the referee seemed in the mood to let the action flow; this had repercussions as Zambia latched on a poor throw, to hit Germany on a counter with Barbara Banda scoring a brilliant loop over Frohms to cement a historic victory for the Africans.
A first cross-confederation World Cup: While there are a lot of monumental moments from the tournament which will be spotlighted below, the World Cup deserves a place of its own in this list for being awesome and entertaining. From countries scoring their debut goals to stadiums selling out and over $570 million being made in revenue. The World Cup was a major part of 2023 that gave birth to a lot of lasting memories. Let’s revisit some of them below.
Ali Riley’s goal: Ali Riley’s strike for New Zealand in the opening game in front of 42,137 people- the largest crowd in the nation’s history for any football match regardless of gender.
Chiamaka Nnadozie’s penalty save: Group B was termed the Group of Death and it lived up to expectations. One of the catchy moments of the group stage was Nigerian goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie saving Christine Sinclair’s penalty to deny her the record of being the oldest scorer at the World Cup.
Katie McCabe’s Olimpico: Another Group B match-up saw the debutant Republic of Ireland lock horns with the current Olympic champions, Canada. Just four minutes in, Katie McCabe produced a moment of magic by scoring directly from a corner. It was their only goal in the tournament and it is one that will be remembered for a very long while.
Marta Cox Strike: There were a lot of eye-catching goals at the World Cup and Marta Cox’s one for Panama was one of the best. Is there a better way to score the first goal for your country than a first-minute spell-binding free-kick against France?
Linda Caicedo’s wonder strike against Germany: Colombia’s Linda Caicedo had already stolen the spotlight as the first footballer to play three levels of the World Cup (U-17, U-20, and senior level) within 12 calendar months and was ready to show the world she was up for the new level of challenge. Caicedo had already scored a solo goal in the first match although the goal-keeper could have done better, but there was nothing Merle Frohms could do to stop Caicedo’s 51st-minute strike in the next game, a goal that was pivotal to defeating Germany and also won the Hyundai’s goal of the tournament.
Morroco waiting for Germany’s result: The last minutes of Group H’s game witnessed a lot of drama; Morocco had managed to beat Colombia thanks to a first-half rebound goal from a penalty and Germany were playing out a 1-1 draw with South Korea. Germany needed a victory to qualify on goal difference and a draw meant Morocco would make it to the second round in their debut tournament. The team huddled together on the pitch in Perth and waited for the results and surprisingly, they qualified ahead of Germany and this was celebrated with glee.
Chloe Kelly’s shot and class act: The last 16 game between Nigeria and England was a classic. The African queens stepped on the gas from the first minute and pushed the European champions to the very limit and would count themselves unlucky not to have won the match after hitting the goalpost a couple times.
The match went on to penalties and the Super Falcons missed the first two, putting the Lionesses at an advantage. Chloe Kelly stepped up to take the final penalty, firing an unstoppable shot into the back of the net. Her strike had an astonishing 111km/hr speed, faster than any Premier League goal last season. What happened after was even more memorable. While her teammates rejoiced, Kelly went to console the crestfallen Nigeria’s goalkeeper and shushed the cameramen away from her. It was a moment of sportsmanship that every lover of the game will cherish for a very long while.
Twenty-kick penalty thriller: What is the longest set of penalties you’ve watched? Mine is 20. After 120 minutes of drama, France and Australia played an entertaining 10 rounds of penalties – the longest in the history of the FIFA World Cup (male or female), when Cortnee Vine scored the final penalty, Suncorp Stadium erupted as did the entire nation of Australia and – the Matildas had made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time.
USA vs Sweden Dramatic penalty shoot-out: To be very honest, we have to start by talking about how the post saved USA from crashing out in the group stage after Portugal’s Ana Capeta hit the post in the 91st minute of their final group game. However, another drama awaited the back-to-back champions in the second round.
After a goalless 120 minutes, the match went to penalties and Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith, and Kelly O’Hara failed to score, it was up to Lina Hurtig to seal the victory for the Swedes. Her penalty was initially saved by US goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher but the ball hovered around the line and after a nervy wait for the VAR’s decision, it was confirmed that the ball had crossed the line sending the crowd to a mix of frenzied emotions.
Sam Kerr’s wonder strike against England: If there was a goal that defined 2023, it was this thunder strike. Having missed a larger part of the tournament due to a calf injury, Sam Kerr made her first start in the semi-finals although the England central defenders who also doubled as her team-mates at Chelsea kept her silent for the first half of the game.
The game opened up in the second half as Kerr made a lot of off-the-ball runs to create spaces for her team-mates and time will smile on her in the 62nd minute when she collected the ball halfway, and drove at Bright and Carter who were back-pedaling while blocking a possible pass. Instead of picking a pass, Kerr went for the spectacular and buried one of the most ferocious shots you’d ever witness into the back of the net. It was a moment that reminded the world what a gem the Western Australian superstar is.
Spain becoming the world champions: Spain had an enthralling journey to the final; beating Switzerland, Netherlands, and Sweden and they had to be at their 100% to beat a resolute team like England. Olga Carmona’s 29th minute strike was enough to seal the victory for the Spanish who were crowned world champions for the first time. What happened after was however soured the moment.
Luis Rubiales scandal: Luis Rubiales’ actions overshadowed Spain’s win over England in the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Rubiales, who was Spanish Football Association president at the time, kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony. Hermoso said the kiss wasn’t consensual. However, after a long-running saga which included Rubiales’ mother staging a brief hunger strike, Rubiales eventually resigned from his post and was banned by FIFA from all football-related activity for three years.
Paris FC knocking out Arsenal and Wolfsburg: After the World Cup, the 2023/2024 season came knocking swiftly and while a lot has been said about the UWCL Qualification path to the group stage, it was Paris FC who stole the show this season as they knocked out last year’s semi-finalist and finalist on their journey to their debut Champions League adventure. They currently sit in third position in their group and still have a chance of qualifying if they are able to pick up some points from their last two games.
Asisat Oshoala’s sixth award: Popularly known as agba baller, the Nigerian and Barcelona striker won the African Player of the Year award for the record sixth time. Oshoala dedicated the award to all African players and urged the continent to come together and do the right thing by paying allowances, and players’ wages and putting the right investment in female football.
Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis Engagement: They are the football couple of the year, the face of the LGBTQ community in sport and Twitter went into frenzy when the open secret was finally announced on the 21st November.
NY/NJ Gotham winning the NWSL championship: There are a lot of notable moments in this match. It was the final match for both USWNT superstars Megan Rapinoe and Ali Kreger and it was a fairy tale ending for the latter when her team won the trophy. Rapinoe had a tougher luck as she left the pitch early in the game due to a knock. A major talking point was the championship’s Most Valuable Player, Midge Purce striking an audacious pose with a cigar and the trophy after the post-match celebrations.
Kristie Mewis signing for West Ham United: Last week, West Ham United signed Kristie Mewis for an undisclosed amount. It was huge for reasons both on and off the pitch. The names of Mewis and her partner Sam Kerr trended on social media for 72 hours, and the announcement of Mewis’ arrival became the most engaged post on the social media pages of the East London club.
Elsewhere: There are a lot of other honorable mentions like Aitana Bonmati winning the Ballon d’Or, Sarina Wiegman winning the Coach of the Year, Hammarby IF winning the Damallsvenskan on goal difference, and lots more. 2023 was an exciting year and we can’t wait to see what the new year has in store. Are there moments you think deserve to be on this list? Please share below.
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