Nigeria’s Super Falcons defender Tosin Demehin has said Zambia is not a tough team.
The Super Falcons will take on Zambia in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Friday.
While the Super Falcons topped Group B on seven points, after winning two games and drawing one, Zambia finished second in Group A also on seven points.
However, the Falcons are yet to concede a goal while the Zambians have seen their net breached four times.
But the Copper Queens scored in their three group matches with star forwards Barbara Banda (three goals) and Racheal Kundananji (three goals) accounting for the six goals scored.
Also Read: ‘We Will Be Ready’ — Zambia Coach Häuptle Talks Tough Ahead Super Falcons Clash
Looking ahead to the big encounter, Demehin played down the threat pose by the Friday’s opponent.
“Zambia is not a tough team compared to the Super Falcons,” Demehin was quoted on Brila FM.
“We are yet to concede a single goal after playing three games but Zambia have conceded four goals.”
Demehin has been part of the Super Falcons defence that has kept out goals threat so far in Morocco.
She has seen action in all the three matches played by Justin Madugu’s side.
The nine-time WAFCON champions would go into the contest hoping to avenge their defeat to Zambia at the 2022 WAFCON.
Both teams clashed in the third-placed play-off with the Zambians triumphing 1-0.
Other quarter-final ties will see champions South Africa take on Senegal, Algeria and Ghana will square off l, and it will be hosts Morocco vs Mali.
By James Agberebi
5 Comments
Aunty, after 63 shots and 15 on target, with 9 of those MOSTLY TAME, this Chelsea vibe prior to whitewashing PSG who had been imperious before CWC final, would have made more sense to me if the “fluminense” in Botswana and “Es Tunis” in Algeria were roundly overwhelmed in the group stage matches.
If you couldn’t show up against less endowed teams, is it against your “mate” Zambia (chai, Zambia don turn mate of falcons) that you will be swashbucklers?
In previous years, playing Zambia in quarters and likely South Africa in the semis would not have been a fearful deal but hey, after eye scratching performances (they said we have not lost a match this year sha), I would have preferred more quietness from the Falcons camp.
The pundits at dstv after the Algerian match said Zambia will be fooled to judging Nigeria based on the 8-changes-lineup to craft their match tactics but our “first team” no even worse and predictable too?
It pains me oh. Why should there likely be a first time our senior national teams (male and female) not reach the world cup at the same time?
Have we suddenly become Djibouti or Vanuatu?
Very premature comment
Our reliable defence marshal no doubt a very very strong defender but pls this is pure moral, determination and character motivation for the opponent
Let us show this on Friday
In Sha Allah
Victory
Bro, the Super Falcons, for all their institutional challenges, still command massive respect on this continent. Let’s be fair: even when chaos reigns at the top, these ladies still show up with pride, grit, and undeniable quality. They remain the queens of African football, no debate there. And if not for some clueless decisions from the NFF and a few clumsy tactical choices, we wouldn’t even be having this nerve-wracking conversation. By now, we should be rubbing shoulders with the world’s elite consistently — not just with hope, but with full conviction and pedigree.
Remember when Randy Waldrum said Nigeria should be “dining and winning” with the best? That wasn’t empty praise — it was a reality check. We’ve got the talent pool, the experience, the international exposure, and the history. That famous win against England in a London friendly wasn’t a fluke — it was a glimpse into the potential that Nigeria has consistently squandered due to poor planning and administrative madness. The sad part is, while other nations have been building, refining, and progressing, we’ve mostly been patching holes, recycling mediocrity, and leaning on our past glory like it’s a FIFA-approved strategy.
Now, looking at this current WAFCON, there’s no denying we’re still the team to beat. If the fear factor wasn’t still very active, these teams wouldn’t be parking buses like they’re applying for Uber jobs. The low block from Botswana and Algeria? That’s not tactical brilliance — that’s panic in the face of a team that, despite not clicking fully yet, still has the firepower to wreck any side on the continent.
But yes, the coach, Madugu, hasn’t helped matters. It’s not just that teams are sitting deep — it’s that we’re too slow to respond. No quick rotations. No coordinated runs from midfield. No diagonal switches or overlapping plays to disrupt those blocks. Nothing. Just sterile possession, hopeful crosses, and occasional bursts from individuals. That’s not a game plan, that’s wishful thinking. And in football, wishes don’t win trophies — strategy does.
Now to Zambia — totally different beast. They won’t sit back. They’re not built to absorb pressure for 90 minutes. They’ll come out, play their game, try to dominate, and that, ironically, might be what unlocks our front line. The spaces they’ll leave behind could be our golden ticket. They’ve already conceded four goals in the group stage alone, which tells you their defense isn’t exactly Fort Knox. Their goalkeeper, bless her heart, has looked shaky at best. Compare that to our backline — organized, composed, and still yet to concede — and Nnadozie between the sticks, arguably one of the top three goalkeepers in the world right now.
So yes, Demehin has every right to be confident heading into Friday’s match. This is a game that should suit us better stylistically. If Madugu can just get out of his own way, play our best attackers from the start, and stop treating game changers like bench warmers, we’ll be fine. We’ve already shown at the World Cup that we can mix it with the big guns — we beat co-hosts Australia, we showed Canada, the then Olympic Champions, real “pepper” and even England, the then European champions, had to dig into their soul to break out from our claws.
So yeah, Zambia are good — no doubt. But this is still the Super Falcons. If we play to our strengths and get our house in order, Friday should be a celebration, not a crisis meeting. Let’s go! Yes!
I like your optimism @papafem but there is an interesting article on Punch news titled
“Nigeria’s top stars missing from WAFCON leaderboards”
and it’s very grim from an ambitious perspective.
A proverbs says the morning shows the day.
Part of the last paragraph in that piece writes:
“The Super Falcons have done enough to progress from the group, but the team has not dominated in attack, midfield, or defence the way fans are used to seeing. As the tournament moves into the quarter-finals, Nigerian fans will hope their stars begin to shine.”
My grouse is that we have been on the African stage for a very long time and it is a travesty to NOT MOVE FORWARD and scale heights after 20 years.
We debut in the world cup 1991. Why should we allow “young” nations steal our thunder today na?
Is it hard to grow our national teams?
Go end ask youre granfada lool
Zambia is only winning becos there playing wit mans, not 1 but 2 or 3 selef, so anybodi wey Zambia beat, me nor count that as losing de game, Zambia is sheating and playing wit men like bobby banda aka babra kmt!