•••Oshoala Strikes Early as 10-Woman Nigeria Edge Copper Queens 1–0 to Revive WAFCON Hopes
Nigeria’s Super Falcons revived their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Zambia at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.
Following a shock 3–2 opening defeat against debutants Malawi, the defending champions entered the Group C encounter under immense pressure, knowing anything short of a positive result could jeopardize their qualification hopes.
The team delivered an immediate response, taking the lead in the eighth minute. Star forward Asisat Oshoala latched onto a sharp pass inside the box, finishing with composure on her second attempt after an initial rebound to give Nigeria the early breakthrough.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the 40th minute when central defender Oluwatosin Demehin was shown a red card following a foul on Zambia’s Barbra Banda, reducing Nigeria to ten players before the interval.
Forced to play over half the match with a numerical disadvantage, Head Coach Justin Madugu made crucial tactical adjustments to maintain structural compactness, bringing on defender Shukurat Oladipo to reinforce the defensive line.
Despite sustained second-half pressure from the Copper Queens, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and the restructured Nigerian defense held firm through intense late attacks to secure the crucial three points.
The 1–0 victory elevates Nigeria to second place in Group C, with their final group stage match set against Egypt.
