2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Qualification for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup determined which 15 teams joined China, the hosts of the 2007 tournament, to play for the Women's World Cup. Europe had 5 qualifying berths, Asia 3.5 berths (including the hosts), North and Central America 2.5 berths, Africa 2 berths, South America 2 berths and Oceania 1 berth. The 16th spot was determined through a play-off match between the third-placed teams in North/Central America and Asia.

Africa

The 2006 Women's African Football Championship functioned as a qualifying tournament. Originally, this tournament was scheduled to be held in Gabon, but due to "organisational reasons" Gabon withdrew from hosting the competition.[1] 32 teams entered the African Championships and competed for the two available spots, but six withdrew during the qualifying session.

On 7 November 2006,  Nigeria and  Ghana qualified by virtue of winning their semifinal matches.

Asia

The 2006 AFC Women's Championship functioned as a qualifying tournament. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Japan, but after the Football Federation Australia moved from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation, the Australian team entered the qualifying series. They were awarded hosting rights in February 2006.[2] The Championship took place between 16 July 2006 and 30 July 2006. Since  China PR, the host nation of Women's World Cup 2007, proceeded to the final, another finalist,  Australia and third-placed  North Korea, were qualified for the World Cup finals. Fourth-placed  Japan qualified for a play-off match with  Mexico, the third-placed team from the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.

Europe
Main article: 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification (UEFA)

The 25 teams belonging to the First Category of European women's football were drawn into five groups, from which the group winners qualified for the World Cup finals.[3] The qualifiers concluded on 30 September 2006 with  Norway,  Sweden,  Germany,  Denmark and  England qualifying.

North America, Central America & Caribbean
Main article: 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup

The 2006 Women's Gold Cup acted as qualifier tournament for CONCACAF. The tournament finals took place between 19 and 26 November 2006.[4] USA and Canada received direct qualifying spots after contesting the final of the 2002 Gold Cup, while four other spots were determined through regional qualifying.

On 22 November 2006,  United States and  Canada qualified by virtue of winning their semifinal matches, while  Mexico qualified for a play-off match with  Japan after defeating Jamaica in the 2006 Gold Cup 3rd place match.

Oceania
Main article: 2007 OFC Women's Championship

One spot was awarded to the winner of the 2007 OFC Women's Championship held 9 April through 13 April 2007 in Papua New Guinea.[5]

 New Zealand won this tournament and qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. It's the second time they are part of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the other being in 1991.

South America

The 2006 Sudamericano Femenino acted as qualifier for CONMEBOL. Originally, a women's football tournament at the 2006 South American Games in Buenos Aires would serve as qualifier tournament, but the South American Games committee scrapped football from the games, forcing the Argentine Football Association to organize a tournament on short notice.[6]

On 24 November,  Brazil qualified by earning six points.  Argentina qualified on 26 November by defeating Brazil and earning a total of 7, thus winning the tournament.

AFC-CONCACAF Play-off
Japan 2 – 0 Mexico
Sawa  37'
Miyama  69'		 Report
National Stadium, Tokyo
Attendance: 10,107
Referee: Beck (Germany)
Mexico 2 – 1 Japan
Leyva  18' (pen)
Domínguez  29'		 Report Arakawa  12'
Attendance: 20,000

Japan won 3-2 on aggregate and qualified for 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Qualified teams

The following teams qualified for the tournament:

Team Number of appearances incl. 2007 Record streak First appearance Most recent appearance before 2007 Best result before 2007
 Argentina 2220032003Round 1
 Australia 4419952003Round 1
 Brazil 55199120033rd Place (1999)
 Canada 44199520034th Place (2003)
 China PR 5519912003Runners-up (1999)
 Denmark 4319911999Quarterfinals (1991 and 1995)
 England 2119951995Quarterfinals (1995)
 Germany 5519912003Champions (2003)
 Ghana 3319992003Round 1
 Japan 5519912003Quarterfinals (1995)
 North Korea 3319992003Round 1
 New Zealand 2119911991Round 1
 Nigeria 5519912003Quarterfinals (1999)
 Norway 5519912003Champions (1995)
 Sweden 5519912003Runners-up (2003)
 United States 5519912003Champions (1991 and 1999)

Every qualifier had participated in a previous Women's World Cup. To date, the 2007 Women's World Cup is the only World Cup for either men or women in which every team in the final tournament had played in a previous World Cup final tournament.

References and notes
  1. Gabon pulls out of hosting AWC, from BBC, retrieved 29 May 2006
  2. Australia To Host AFC Women's Championship 2006 Archived 1 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine, from Football Federation Australia, retrieved 29 May 2006
  3. UEFA preliminaries, from FIFA.com, retrieved 30 June 2006
  4. Women's Gold Cup, from RSSSF, retrieved 29 May 2006
  5. Oceania's Women's Championship 2007 (Papua New Guinea), retrieved 22 March 2007
  6. Argentina called its women's national team with a view to Odesur, from Conmebol.com, retrieved 27 July 2006
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