Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for the quarterfinals of the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after hammering Egypt 6-2, in their final Group C game on Wednesday, completesports.com reports.
The result means the Super Falcons finish in second place on six points while Malawi, also on six points, top the group despite losing 2-1 to Zambia in the other fixture.
Asisat Oshoala, Gift Monday, Uchenna Kanu, Christy Ucheibe, Rasheedat Ajibade and Joy Omewa were the scorers for the Super Falcons while Nadin Ghazy got Egypt’s two goals.
The Super Falcons will now face Cameroon, who topped Group D, in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Heading into the clash with Egypt the Super Falcons knew only a win by a wide margin and a favourable result in the game between Malawi and Zambia could guarantee qualification into the last eight.
Mitchelle Alozie had the Super Falcons first attempt on goal in the 15th minute but her effort went just off target.
Oshoala went close on 18 minutes but her shot hit an Egyptian player on the hand which the keeper punched away.
The handball incident was checked by VAR and was awarded with Oshoala converting the spot kick to put the Falcons 1-0 up on 21 minutes.
With 10 minutes left Rinsola Babajide sent in a cross which went over the bar.
The Falcons were forced into an early change as Oshoala went off injured and was replaced by Monday.
Also Read: WAFCON 2026: We Won’t Be Intimidated By Super Falcons — Egypt Captain Ali
In the 42nd minute Rasheedat Ajibade hit a low shot which the keeper Palmed away for a corner.
Few seconds later the Egyptian keeper made another fine save to deny Babajide.
Then in the first minute of added time Monday doubled the Falcons lead as she stabbed home Babajide’s cross.
Egypt were awarded a penalty which they converted through Ghazy in the 10th minute of first half added time after Alozie was adjudged to have fouled an opponent.
The Falcons had the upper hand in the second half and went close on 56 minutes only for Monday to see her header go just wide.
Their pressure eventually paid off on 57 minutes as Kanu, who only came on few seconds earlier, slotted into an empty net off an assist by Babajide.
In the 65th minute Ajibade put in a dangerous cross which an Egyptian player blocked away for a corner.
The Super Falcons went 4-1 up from the penalty spot on 81 minutes after Ucheibe scored from the penalty spot for a foul on Kanu.
But the Egyptians made it 4-2 just three minutes after Ucheibe’s goal as Ghazy got her second goal.
For the third time in the match the Super Falcons were awarded a penalty and Ajibade stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way to make it 5-2 on 91 minutes.
Then in the 99th minute substitute Omewa got among the goals as she added the sixth for the defending champions.
By James Agberebi
11 Comments
I can’t help but feel today that individual qualities and sheer luck have helped us so far. The coaching input or tactical plan is almost undiscernible. The quality of coaching is poor or very minimal.
Can anyone explain the tactical plan in this match? All the competitive teams have studied us since last Wafcon and discovered that marshalling a sound wing-clipping tactic and fast break at the back leaves us vulnerable.
But we might still wobble and fumble into the semi-final and WC qualifications.
Job done! SF lived dangerously most part of the game but at the end they got the hob done.
I will cut the slack on both the coach and SF players because Egypt women has improved from the one that played and conceded 6 unreplied goals against the Copper Queens of Zambia in their opening game and did everything to make life difficult for the SF.
SF would be meeting the Cameroonian lionesses in the Qtr finals, and I am very optimistic Nigeria SF will turn out in their real colour with a posotive result and qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year- without the pressure they put themselves through in the last 2 games against Zambia, with 10 SF women, and today against an improved Egyptian Cleopatra side, ready for War.
Congratulations to Coach Madugu and his wards for climbing every mountain placed before them, successfully. You can’t ask for more!
Can someone tell this Super Falcons coach to stop playing players out of their position. See what happened to Alozie today. Playing her out of position made her committed foul that lead to penalty.
I pray Nigeria qualify for world cup. Super Falcons need a good left back. Plumptrew is the only good left back the team get. Her absence always create gap at the defence.
True, the absence of Plumtre really left a big hole in the backline. I hope she returns to the team if we get the WC ticket on Sunday. Alozie is more assured playing naturally at RB and makes costly mistakes when deployed at LB. The 2 goals conceded were practically her fault – and by extension, Madugu’s tactical poverty. Thankfully, she made up for it by winning us the last penalty.
Congrats to the girls. Can’t believe Zambia and Malawi didn’t do their homework. Why were they checking on the Nigeria/Egypt game? Zambia thought they had qualified, Malawians too were clueless. Omo it’s not only NFF that’s lazy oh. Other African FAs too are lazy.
Congratulations to the Super Falcons. The girls fought hard and it eventually paid off for them. It simply shows the die hard spirit of the girls, and the desire to ensure they qualify for the World Cup next year.
But I must question Coach Madugu continual selection of Ijamilusi, I hope I got it right, to start for the team. That girl is not good enough to even be in the Super Falcons. She is very poor with the basics of the game.
Two players prove that they ought to be starters- Babajide and Gift Monday. They were both very good today, and Babajide went on to win the player of the match.
Coach Madugu has not proven that he has the capability to take this team beyond the level they are now. If eventually we qualify for the World Cup, and we wish to do better than the last time, then the team needs a sound coach or we just go there to complete the number.
Rinsola deserved the WOM. And SF would have been unable to score those goals if Asissat and Ijamilusi had finished the match. No disrespect to Asissat but the other strikers convert more chances than her and her well placed to create more goals. This coach must be honest and stop nonsense politics else he will be disgraced and those using him will dump him. Thank God we made it and I hope he doesn’t bench Kanu next time or play ineffective Ijamilusi.
I said this right from the start. Ijamilusi is good with her trademark 1-2 exchanges, but as a top striker, she’s largely average. Ironically, she wears the No 9 jersey but hardly scores.
As for Oshoala, the main thing she brings to this table at this stage of her career is experience. But she’s fast ebbing on speed and stamina. Starting Oshoala and Ijamilusi upfront made our attack very blunt in the early stages of the game. Thank God Madugu realized quickly.
And Rinsola, wow, what a sharp and brilliant player. And to think this is her first start for the team. How come everyone knows the Falcons’ best starting 11 more than the coach??? If this coach can discover it, we’ll be blowing many things away within the first half.
Yes everyone knows because there is nothing to hide because this team is our major pride judging by accomplishment when compared to SE that is only good at Bronze.. And Indeed Ijamilusi is good in many ways but very amateurish of the coach to start her in matches when she should be understudy to other strikers at this early stage of her career. Stage fright seems to be hiding her at the moment but she will come good later in SF.
I’m actually enjoying this. Not because I want the team to struggle, but because more people are finally seeing what some of us have been saying about Madugu. This man is simply not at the level required for the Super Falcons. Unfortunately, our permanently broke NFF will probably keep him because he’s cheap, compliant, and won’t ask uncomfortable questions like the American, Randy Waldrum.
What exactly is his football philosophy? I honestly don’t know. Every match feels like he’s selecting the team with a raffle machine. One day you’re first choice, the next day you’re wondering whether you offended somebody.
Look at Rinsola Babajide. She came to party and gave Zambia something to think about. Pace, direct running, confidence, purpose, everything our attack had been missing. So the question is: where exactly had Madugu been hiding this babe all this while? She could have wrecked both Malawi and Zambia if she had been trusted earlier.
Then there’s Uchenna Kanu. Somebody should explain this one to me like I’m five years old. The same player whose late goal against Malawi practically kept Nigeria alive, the same player who terrorised Zambia, somehow finds herself on the bench again. Na wetin this girl do? Forget to greet coach? And to think she didn’t even make the last WAFCON squad while an unattached Chioma Okafor did.
Tony Payne too. Suddenly she looked this influential. So has she been training in the hotel while other are the field, or is the coach just discovering her qualities after years on the job?
Now imagine this same coach standing on the touchline against Spain, England, Japan or the USA at the World Cup. If tactical confusion was an Olympic event, walahi we’d be serious medal contenders. The team has no clear identity, and game management is almost by hope and prayer.
Let’s not deceive ourselves o. This squad is carrying the coach more than the coach is carrying the squad. Their talent, resilience and individual brilliance keep covering tactical cracks that become obvious whenever we face organised opposition.
We’ll probably still go to the world cup because the players are that good. But winning this WAFCON with Madugu in charge? Na miracle plus extra time. And if the NFF thinks this level of coaching is enough for the WWC, they should also book return tickets with the squad. Three matches, airport, everybody go dey explain “valuable lessons were learned.” We’ve heard that movie before.
Anyways, congrstulations to the team. I wish them well. Ire o.