Nigeria’s Super Falcons have won their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title after a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Morocco in the final played on Saturday night in Rabat.
Esther Okoronkwo became the star of the night. She scored one goal and gave two assists as the Falcons came from two goals down to defeat the host team in front of a packed crowd at the 21,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.
“It was not easy, but we believed in ourselves. I’m proud of what we achieved,” Okoronkwo said after the match. She was later named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance.
Morocco took the lead in the 13th minute when their captain, Ghizlane Chebbak, scored a beautiful goal from outside the box. Just 11 minutes later, Sanaâ Mssoudy made it 2-0 for the home team after a smart pass from Ibtissam Jraidi.
The Super Falcons went into halftime trailing 2-0, but they did not give up.
Head coach Justin Madugu encouraged his players during the break, and they came back stronger. In the 64th minute, Nigeria was awarded a penalty after a handball by a Moroccan defender. Okoronkwo calmly scored to bring Nigeria back into the game.
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Seven minutes later, Okoronkwo assisted Folashade Ijamilusi, who scored with a powerful shot to make it 2-2.
Just two minutes before full time, Okoronkwo delivered another assist. She set up Jennifer Echegini, who scored the winning goal in the 88th minute to complete the dramatic comeback.
Morocco tried to equalise in the closing minutes, but Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and the defence stood strong.
“This is a big moment for us. We fought hard and showed what Nigerian women can do,” said Nnadozie, who was later awarded Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Rasheedat Ajibade also received the Player of the Tournament award for her consistent brilliance throughout the competition.
Although Morocco failed to win their first-ever WAFCON title, many praised their performance and progress in women’s football. Their captain Chebbak finished as the top scorer of the tournament.
Nigeria will receive $1 million in prize money and the new WAFCON trophy, completing what they called “Mission X” — reclaiming the title they last won in 2018.
The win confirms the Super Falcons’ status as the queens of African football, having now won 10 out of 13 WAFCON tournaments.
“Our journey was tough, but we never gave up. This trophy means everything to us and our country,” said Coach Madugu.