How Super Falcons Secured WAFCON Quarter-finals Ticket After Botswana Scare

Nigeria’s Super Falcons punched their ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a tense 1-0 win over Botswana on Thursday night.

The Super Falcons secured their place in the next round of the competition thanks to a clutch 88th-minute finish from Chinwendu Ihezuo.

Despite Nigeria’s dominance in possession, they were repeatedly frustrated by Botswana’s deep defensive setup and a standout performance from goalkeeper Sedilame Boseja.

But just as the game seemed headed for a stalemate, Ihezuo, introduced at halftime, reacted sharply to a loose ball in the box and buried it with conviction, sealing all three points for the nine-time African champions.

The result lifted Nigeria to six points from two matches and extended their unbeaten run in WAFCON group-stage play to five games, all without conceding. It is also the first time since 1998 that the Falcons have kept clean sheets in their opening two group fixtures.

Coach Justine Madugu’s side came into the match buoyed by a commanding 3-0 win over Tunisia. But the confidence from that result didn’t immediately translate into goals.

Nigeria laboured in the final third throughout a goalless first half, with chances from Asisat Oshoala, Toni Payne, and Ashleigh Plumptre failing to break the deadlock.

Botswana, meanwhile, showed flashes of danger on the counter. A fierce long-range attempt from Laone Moloi in the 33rd minute nearly caught Chiamaka Nnadozie off-guard, but the Nigerian shot-stopper was alert.

With the stalemate persisting into the second half, Madugu rang in the changes, and it proved decisive. A triple substitution at halftime saw Ihezuo, Christy Ucheibe, and Esther Okoronkwo enter the fray, injecting urgency into Nigeria’s attack.

Ihezuo had already looked lively with a headed effort flying over shortly after the restart. And when Jennifer Echegini came on for the booked Deborah Abiodun in the 70th minute, the Falcons found another gear.

Echegini nearly made the difference herself with two efforts, a near-miss in the 71st minute and a curling shot in the 82nd that forced Boseja into a diving save despite her earlier injury scare.

Eventually, the breakthrough came. A scrappy sequence in the box ended with Ihezuo reacting fastest, pouncing on a rebound and smashing it past Boseja, her second goal in two games.

While Nigeria now comfortably sit atop Group B with one game remaining, Botswana’s path to the knockouts hangs by a thread. With just one point from two matches, the Mares must beat Tunisia in their final group game and hope other results swing in their favour.

Elsewhere in the group, Tunisia and Algeria played out a drab 0-0 draw earlier in the day, a result that left both sides on a single point and ensured a tense final round of fixtures.

For the Super Falcons, they are already qualified for the next round of the competition, but they will be aiming to finish top of the group by beating Algeria in their last group stage game.