By
Eniola Olatunji 

The Super Falcons on Thursday in Casablanca, Morocco piped the Mares of Botswana by a lone goal to move into the Quarterfinals of the Women’s African Football Cup of Nations (WAFCON) from group B.

The Botswana ladies played a defensive game from the opening whistle frustrating the Nigerians but Okoronkwo caught the same energetic Mare babes napping when playing from the right flank, sold dummies to two defenders and got a thorough pass to Chinwedu Ihezuo who poked the ball with a right leg into goal in the 89th minute of play.

Africa's best with nine titles, Nigeria tried many tricks to bring down the "German wall" erected by the energetic Botswana ladies but nothing clicked until that lucky moment.

The scanty attendance at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca was no motivation for the highly experienced Nigerian side with a handful ly motivated Nigerians in Morocco chanting many of the popular Nigerian football songs. The Chinwe baby lone strike made the Nigerians create master blaster music and delightful dancing steps after the last whistle.

The Mares or The Zebras of Botswana first met the Super Falcons of Nigeria in a group C match at the last tournament at Sabat, Morocco on 7th July where Nigeria won 2-0 and the scorers were Onumonu 21st minute and Ucheibe 48th minute. Both players who were subs today could not beat the Mare babes defence.

It was Botswana first time at WAFCON finals where the team placed 3rd in group C with South Africa as group toppers; Nigeria second; Botswana 3rd was lucky losers qualifier with Tunisia. Burundi placed 4th. Botswana lost at the 2022 games quarterfinal to Tunisia 1-2 at Rabat on 13th July.

Nigeria won the title an astonishing 9 times of which no African team has gone near. The wins were in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 (five consecutive times); 2010, 2014 2016 and 2018. Nigeria reached semifinal in all their 12 previous appearances finishing 3rd in 2001 and placed 4th in 2012 and 2022.

Other champions were Equatorial Guinea that won three times and South Africa once. Nigeria and South Africa are the only two nations to have qualified for all the 12 tournaments since 1998.

Botswana lost the first Group B match of the WAFCON 2024 games by a lone goal to Algeria while Nigeria beat Tunisia 3-0.

Earlier today, Thursday in group B Tunisia and Algeria played goalless in a North African derby with Algeria dominating but could not get a goal. Had 13-5 shots at goal; 6-1 on target; 7=-30% ball possession meaning they controlled the game; stringed 402-167 passes with shared one yellow card apiece and 7-4 corner kicks.

By the results of the two matches in group B today, Nigeria tops the group with a quarterfinal spot getting 6 points from the 2 matches, scoring 4 goals with a clean slate (a slang in football meaning not conceding a goal so far; Algeria is 2nd with 4 points scoring one goal and also yet to concede a goal too; Tunisia is 3rd with a point scoring no goal but conceding 3 goals while Botswana rocks the bottom of the group table with no point, no goal scored but conceding 2 goals.

Last group B matches will be played simultaneously on Sunday 13th July at 10pm between Tunisia and Botswana and Nigeria versus Algeria.

The irony in football is that by permutation, Tunisia may qualify for the knockout stages from this group if she can beat Botswana silly and hire prayer Warriors to pray that Nigeria beat Algeria as expected even by a lone goal.