The Super Falcons of Nigeria put up their best performance at the ongoing 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), hammering Zambia’s Copper Queens 5-0 to qualify for the semi finals.
The nine-time African champions will now wait for the winner of the quarter final clash between defending champions, South Africa, and Senegal to battle in semi final for a place in the final.
It was an emphatic victory for the Nigerians that atoned for the pain of losing out to the Zambians in the third-place match three years ago, also in Morocco.
This match-up between two of Africa’s top teams was won and lost in the first half when Nigeria fired three goals past the Copper Queens.
To their credit, Nigeria kept their fourth straight clean sheet of the WAFCON to underline the solidity of the Super Falcons’ defence marshalled by Osinachi Ohale.
Experienced defender Ohale got Nigeria off to a flying start after just two minutes, when she headed home a free kick by Esther Okoronkwo.
Falcons doubled their advantage on 33 minutes, when Okoronkwo fired home a long ball by captain Rasheedat Ajibade.
Chinwendu Ihezuo scored her third goal of the competition on the stroke of halftime, when she blasted home from inside the box.
As expected, Zambia chased the game after the break only for the Super Falcons to again expose the many shortcomings in the backline of the Southern African nation.
Tosin Demehin headed home Nigerian’s fourth goal off a free kick by Okoronkwo in the 68th minute.
Ajibade made the fifth goal when she sprinted into the box to deliver a low cross for Folashade Ijamilusi to simply tap home into an empty Zambian net.
