Nigeria’s Super Falcons returned to Rabat for a recovery session ahead of their semi-final game against Morocco at the ongoing 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The session which lasted for an hour saw the players taking stretches and warm-ups to loosen their muscles following their 1-0 win over Cameroon.
The defending champions had a poor start to the campaign losing 2-1 to perennial rivals Banyana Banyan in their opening game of Group C.
Following this defeat, the Falcons have gone on to keep clean sheets in all their remaining matches in the competition, beating Botswana 2-0 in their second group game and sent a fair warning to potential opponents with a 4-0 drubbing of Burundi.
This set them up for a quarter-final clash against Cameroon, a side that had gone unbeaten throughout the WAFCON, and had the third most wins at the WAFCON (21) – behind Nigeria and South Africa and are one of just three teams to have beaten the Falcons (in 2012) in the last 16 years, even though it was their only win in the last five encounters against the Nigerians.
It was a battle between the tournament’s most prolific side and the team with the most solid defensive record so far.
A thumping header from the outstanding Rasheedat Ajibade inside the box, off a delightful cross from Ifeoma Onumonu in the 56th minute, secured a hard-fought victory for the reigning champions.
It was Ajibade’s third goal of the tournament, making her the top scorer ahead of Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak.
The Atletico Madrid forward, who also has four assists to her name, had earlier scored against South Africa and Burundi.
The pressure on the Nigerian defence told as goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, in a bid to save a lose ball, suffered a poor challenge from Cameroon’s Michaela-Batya Abam, but the Paris FC keeper was back on her feet minutes later after receiving medical treatment.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser on Media to the President, Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari, lauded the spirited performance of the team, for maintaining their standing as defending champions and the most successful women’s football team in Africa.
Credit: punchng.com
