Nigeria vs Morocco's AFCON final: Nigeria overcomes Morocco to be crowned African champions at the 10th WAFCON.
Nigeria defeated Morocco 3-2 in the second half to win their 10th TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title on Saturday night at Rabat’s Stade Olympique.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime in front of a partisan Moroccan crowd, the Super Falcons demonstrated their pedigree and resilience by clawing their way back into the game with clinical finishing and pure effort, cementing their reputation as African football’s queens.
Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Joe Echegini scored late goals to overturn Morocco’s big first-half lead, startling the Atlas Lionesses, who were looking to win their first continental crown at home.
The final had all the ingredients of a classic: a host nation looking to crown a golden generation with history, and Africa’s most successful women’s side eager to reaffirm their dominance.
Morocco got off to a dream start. With just 12 minutes on the clock, captain Ghizlane Chebbak opened the scoring with a brilliant strike from outside the box, curling the ball low past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
The home crowd erupted, sensing history in the making.
Things got even better for the Atlas Lionesses in the 24th minute when Sanaâ Mssoudy doubled Morocco’s lead.
Ibtissam Jraidi’s smooth pass found Mssoudy in space, and the forward finished confidently in the bottom right corner.
Nigeria appeared surprised and headed into the break trailing by two goals, facing a difficult task. However, coach Justin Madugu’s half-time speech elicited an enthusiastic response from the Super Falcons.
The comeback began just after the hour mark, when a VAR review threw Nigeria a lifeline.
A handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which Okoronkwo calmly converted to make it 2-1.
Nigeria gained momentum after that. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo turned provider, slipping a lovely pass into the path of Ijamilusi, who hammered a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to tie the score.
Nigeria emerged victorious as the match entered extra time.
Esther Okoronkwo was once again engaged in a well-worked set-piece situation, this time supplying a superb assist to Joe Echegini, who calmly tapped home in the 88th minute to complete a remarkable reversal.
Despite late pressure and a flurry of Moroccan attacks, the Super Falcons held on for a tense last few minutes of stoppage time.
It was a tragic finish for Jorge Vilda’s Morocco team, which had shined throughout the tournament and was vying to become only the fourth nation to win the WAFCON title, behind Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa.
But the night belonged to the Super Falcons, whose experience, depth, and never-say-die attitude carried them to yet another African crown, their tenth in 13 editions.
Nigeria’s victory not only extended their unrivaled legacy on the continent but also sent a clear message that, despite increasing competition, they remain the side to beat in African women’s football.
- Barcelona President Joan Laporta has more or less ended any transfer speculation surrounding the first team before the end of the window on Monday evening. The Catalan club has brought in Joao Cancelo so far and bid farewell to Marc-Andre ter Stegen, both on deals until the end of the season.
- Best Gh Motors
- Best Gh Motors offers affordable, high-quality cars for purchase and rental. Both brand-new and used cars are available for purchase
- The Champions League draw has revealed the opponents for two of the remaining three La Liga sides in the competition, with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the playoff round.
- Thomas Partey plays through pain amid criticisms
About the Author
