Nigeria produce stunning comeback to beat Morocco and win 10th WAFCON title
Trailing 2-0 at half-time in front of a partisan Moroccan crowd, the Super Falcons showed their pedigree and resilience, clawing their way back into the match with a display of clinical finishing and sheer determination to cement their status as queens of African football.
Goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and a late winner by Joe Echegini overturned Morocco's strong first-half lead, stunning the Atlas Lionesses who were hoping to clinch their first-ever continental title on home soil.
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.
A slick pass from Ibtissam Jraidi found Mssoudy in space, and the forward made no mistake with a composed finish into the bottom right corner.
Nigeria appeared stunned and went into the break trailing by two goals, facing an uphill battle. But coach Justin Madugu's half-time talk sparked a spirited response from the Super Falcons.
The comeback began just after the hour mark when a VAR review handed Nigeria a lifeline.
A handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Okoronkwo to make it 2-1.
From that moment, momentum swung Nigeria's way. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo turned provider, slipping a neat ball into the path of Ijamilusi, who drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to bring Nigeria level.
With the match heading towards extra time, Nigeria found the winner.
A well-worked set-piece situation saw Esther Okoronkwo once again involved, delivering a clever assist to Joe Echegini, who calmly slotted home in the 88th minute to seal a dramatic turnaround.
Despite late pressure and a flurry of Moroccan attacks, the Super Falcons held firm through a tense final few minutes of stoppage time.
It was a heartbreaking end for Jorge Vilda's Morocco side, who had impressed throughout the tournament and were bidding to become only the second nation ever to lift the WAFCON trophy after Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
But the night belonged to the Super Falcons, whose experience, depth and never-say-die spirit propelled them to yet another African title — their 10th in 13 editions.
Nigeria's triumph not only extended their unmatched legacy on the continent but also served as a resounding statement that, even in the face of rising challengers, they remain the team to beat in African women's football.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CAF
19 hours ago
- CAF
Six days to go: Angola boss Gonçalves hails CAF for championing homegrown talent with CHAN
As the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 edges closer, Angola's head coach Pedro Gonçalves is leading his team with quiet confidence and deep reflection of his six years in charge of the Palancas Negras. Celebrating six years at the helm of the Palancas Negras, the Portuguese tactician believes Angola is primed to showcase its local talent despite facing challenges of player availability and group-stage pressure. In this exclusive interview with Gonçalves delves into Angola's CHAN qualification journey, the transformative power of the competition for local players, and his optimism about the future of football in the COSAFA region. He also acknowledges the difficult task ahead in a group that includes CHAN heavyweights Morocco and DR Congo, as well as co-hosts Kenya and regional rivals Zambia. With a mix of pragmatism and belief, Gonçalves sees CHAN not just as a tournament but as a platform for growth and recognition for African-based players. Here is the full Q&A: Q: Coach, you are preparing for yet another TotalEnergies CAF CHAN tournament. What are your views on the current state of the team? I have the privilege of celebrating six years as Angola's national team coach. The journey has been long and enjoyable. Our progress since 2019 has been substantial, and this will be the second consecutive CHAN that I am proud to have qualified Angola for. As a result of our development in recent years, Angola has become a goldmine for world football, and many of our most prominent players are now playing abroad, which means they won't be available for this competition. Nevertheless, I have always emphasized—and continue to stress to the players—the great importance of CHAN, as it serves both as a window of opportunity for local players and as a barometer for the entire internal football structure. Q: What do you make of the team's performance in the qualifiers? The fact that in 2024 we were the national team with the biggest rise in the FIFA rankings worldwide allowed us to skip the first qualifying round. On one hand, that was a good thing, but on the other, it meant we had less time to work and develop directly with the locally based players. We ended up playing the qualifier against Lesotho, which is always a very competitive opponent. I believe we were rightful winners of the tie, which was practically decided in the first leg with our 2-goal away victory. In the second leg at home, we were able to manage the squad and give other players the chance to compete. Despite losing that match due to an entirely unnecessary penalty, we always controlled the tie and were never in danger of missing qualification. Q: What makes this TotalEnergies CAF CHAN tournament important for Angolan Football? CHAN is of vital importance in boosting local talent. The vast majority of African national teams play mostly (or even entirely) with players who are based outside their countries. I think CAF brilliantly created a very interesting and attractive competitive space that opens the door for locally based players who aspire to reach higher sporting levels. CHAN provides visibility for local talent. Q: What have you made of the growth and competitiveness of African football? In recent seasons, CAF has implemented a series of initiatives that have increasingly raised the quality and visibility of African competitions. Africa holds the future talent of global football, and as such, interest from the global football world is growing. This is evident in the attention given to African competitions—not only from outside the continent but also from within, as there is growing enthusiasm and appreciation for what is being produced in African football. Q: Looking at your group, what do you make of your opponents and your chances of going to the KO stages? We are clearly in the most competitive group. Looking at the five teams in the group, only two have won CHAN twice—Morocco and the DRC—and they are clearly the favorites to qualify. Then there's the host nation, Kenya, which has made a significant investment. Zambia and ourselves will be seen as the 'underdogs,' but I believe we will fight relentlessly for a place in the quarterfinals. We may not be the favorites, but we will certainly have something to say in that fight. Q: What goals are you looking to set for your team in this competition? Considering that in the last edition we finished second in a group of three and didn't qualify—due to two draws in two matches—having the chance to play four games this time is already a great opportunity for this group of local players. We will fight for a place in the quarterfinals, which would be a fantastic goal to achieve given the strength of the teams in our group. Q: No Southern African nation has lifted the title. What do you make of this statistic and the chances of Southern African nations at the tournament? The progress of the COSAFA region has been gradual and significant. If we consider that seven of the teams in the upcoming AFCON are from the COSAFA region, that's already a sign of growth. However, we must now aim for the next level, which is winning titles in Africa. South Africa and Zambia have already done so in the AFCON. Let's see which team from our region will be the first to do it in CHAN. The talent is there, and with time, the allocation of more resources, and improvements in the development process, I believe it will become a reality.
CairoScene
19 hours ago
- CairoScene
First Egyptian Woman Appointed VP of African Squash Federation
Eltarabolsy's is the first female president of the national federation, but also as the presenter of Al-Abtal, Egypt's first television programme dedicated to squash and its champions. Jul 27, 2025 Amna Eltarabolsy, President of the Egyptian Squash Federation and a former world-ranked champion, has been appointed Vice President of the African Squash Federation, becoming the first Egyptian woman in history to hold the position. Eltarabolsy's career began as a professional athlete, reaching a global ranking of No. 41 before retiring in 2008. Today, she stands at the helm of Egyptian squash's administrative and media landscape, as the first female president of the national federation, but also as the presenter of Al-Abtal, Egypt's first television programme dedicated to squash and its champions. Eltarabolsy currently serves as Secretary of Sports for Alexandria Governorate under the Mostaqbal Watan (Nation's Future) Party. Her election to the African federation comes at a pivotal time. As squash prepares to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, the continent is focused on elevating talent, infrastructure, and international competitiveness.
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Nigeria fights back to stun Morocco and win 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations title - Africa
Nigeria won its record-extending 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations title after fighting back from two goals down to beat host Morocco 3-2 in Saturday's thrilling final. Morocco was up 2-0 until Esther Okoronkwo led Nigeria back with a penalty and two assists in the final half hour. The continent's most successful national team kept intact its perfect record in the competition's finals with its comeback victory in Rabat. The Super Falcons had started the tournament with what they called 'Mission X,' a quest to re-establish their dominance. After smashing Morocco's hopes for a first title, Nigeria celebrated with a social media post saying 'Mission X Accomplished.' Nigeria had lost to Morocco in the semifinals of the previous edition in 2022, and they looked to be going down again until a handball sparked a late rally. Morocco up early before Nigeria rallies late The Atlas Lionesses dominated the first half. Ghizlane Chebbak curled a shot from outside the box for a 13th-minute lead and 11 minutes later Sanaâ Mssoudy added a second goal. But Okoronkwo pulled one back for Nigeria in the 64th when she converted a penalty after a video review spotted a handball in the area by Nouhaila Benzina. Okoronkwo soon turned assist-maker to set up Folashade Ijamilusi to level it in the 71st. Substitute Joe Echegini, a Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, scored the winner in the 88th with a right-footed shot from the center of the area after a free kick by Okoronkwo. Morocco lost the 2022 final to South Africa. Coach Jorge Vilda took over Morocco after leading Spain to the 2023 World Cup title. On Friday, Ghana beat South Africa on penalties to claim third place. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
