Super Falcons Cement African Dominance with 10th WAFCON Crown

By Ngunyi Sonita Nwohatzie

The Super Falcons of Nigeria pulled off a sensational second-half comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 and claim their 10th TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title on July 26 at the Stade Olympique in Rabat.

The match began dramatically, with Morocco capitalising early. Just 12 minutes in, Captain Ghizlane Chebbak lit up the stadium with a superb long-range effort that curled past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. The Atlas Lionesses doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Sanaa Mssoudy calmly slotted home a second, putting the home crowd into a frenzy.

It looked like Morocco’s night, with the hosts heading into half-time comfortably 2-0 up and dreaming of their first-ever WAFCON crown. Nigeria, meanwhile, appeared deflated and in desperate need of a spark.

That spark came after the break. Coach Justin Madugu’s halftime talk ignited something in the Super Falcons, who returned to the pitch with renewed fire and belief.

Their comeback began just after the hour mark when VAR spotted a handball by Nouhaila Bouzina in the box. Esther Okoronkwo stepped up and converted the resulting penalty with composure to bring Nigeria back into the game at 2-1.

Momentum had shifted. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo turned provider, slipping a precise pass to Folashade Ijamilusi, who fired a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner to level the scoreline.

As the match edged towards extra time, Nigeria weren’t done yet. In the 88th minute, a well-executed set-piece saw Okoronkwo deliver another inch-perfect ball, this time finding Joe Echegini, who coolly slotted home the winner to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Despite a late onslaught from the Atlas Lionesses, Nigeria’s defence held strong, and the final whistle confirmed their dominance in African women’s football – 10 titles from 13 editions, replacing South Africa, which was the previous winner of the competition.

It was a bittersweet end for Morocco and coach Jorge Vilda, whose team had thrilled fans throughout the tournament. They were hoping to become only the fourth nation to lift the WAFCON trophy after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa. But on this night, experience triumphed over ambition.

Individual Awards saw Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria) winning the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco) with 5 goals in the competition won the Golden Boot.

The Best Goalkeeper was awarded to Nigerian Chiamaka Nnadozie, while their coach, Justin Madugu, was crowned the Best Coach of the tournament. Going home with $1,000,000, the Super Falcons once again showed why they are the queens of African football, fearless, experienced, and unbreakably united.