By

Eniola Olatunji 

Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Sunday at the 18600 capacity Stade Larbi Zaouki, Casablanca in Morocco dropped the Tunisian National senior female football team to further exit with a 3-0 emphatic win in the Group B opener of the 2024 WAFCON tournament in Morocco.  

Nigeria scored two goals in the first half with a tournament opener in the 4th minute from former Africa’s best female player, Azezat with a fine header from a floater shot that Captain Rasheedat Ajibade played into the six yard box and England’s former Youth International, Omorinsola Ajike Babajide made a solo run into the box to score in the 51st minute which VAR promptly approved as goal. Both Oshoala and Babajide were substituted within two minutes of play in the 2nd half.

Ihezuo Chinwedu who came in for Babajide in the double change of 46th minute got a telepathic pass from the lady that substituted Oshoala in the same minute, Esther Okonrokwo to score Nigeria’s 3rd goal in the 84th minute of play.

Typical of North African teams behavior, the Tunisian girls pressed the Ref for a red card when the Ref blowed for a penalty against Nigeria in the 76th minute. VAR dismissed the penalty call and not even a yellow card was flashed for that incident. 

Nigeria outrightly dominated the match with 24-5 shots at goal and a 9-0 shots on target; Nigeria had 72-28% ball possession stringing a handsome 465 -190 passes meaning she was in total control of the match; Nigeria however conceded 19-10 fouls and bagged 2-1 yellow cards meaning possibility of winning Fair Play Trophy may be very tight and each yellow and red cards attract a fine from CAF. Nigeria also had 6-1 corner kicks meaning it is not yet Uhuru with Nigeria’s set pieces for she needs to score more goals.

Cover Photo shows Rinsola Babajide celebrating her tournament’s first in the manner of the late Liverpool Player’s, Diogo Jota celebration. She once played for the Liverpool female team. Jota was burnt in a car crash on Thursday morning with his brother Andre in Spain.

On paper, Nigerian girls are no mates to the Tunisian babes. Rated 36th in the world against the Tunisians who are rated 89th, the Nigerians have at the WAFCON tournament a total of 12 times seeking their 10th title whereas Tunisia is in the3rd appearance with their only WAFCON win ever being 4-1 over Togo in their 2022 WAFCON opener. 

Tunisian best was a quarterfinal clash with the Super Falcons at the WAFCON tournament hosted by Morocco and South Africa slashed the Carthage Eagles by a lone goal at Rabat on 14th July of that year. 

Nigeria had lost via penalties 5-4 after 1-1 draw at full time to hosts Morocco in the tournament where South Africa lifted the trophy.

There were three top scorers at that tournament with three goals each namely Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria; Hilda Magala of South Africa and Ghizlane Chebbak of Morocco.

Nigeria and Tunisia were meeting for the second time, the first being a Group B matches at Equatorial Guinea 2008 tournament that ended goalless.

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.

Nigeria today played her 8th match against North African teams opposition with 5 wins and two draws, the only loss was to hosts Morocco in 2022 via penalties after 1-1 draw. 

Nigeria’s Super Falcons are the competitions’ highest scorers with 179 goals in 62 matches conceding 28 goals. 

Although Nigeria had her biggest win beating Morocco 8-0 in 1998 she scaled the hurdles of qualification with 7-1 aggregate against Cape Verde with an emphatic 5-0 win in Nigeria in the 1st leg.

Tunisia slammed Niger Republic 12-1 on aggregate with 7-0 win at home and 5-1 away. They equally beat Congo 6-3 on aggregate with their dangerous player Saima Zemzem who scored a hat-trick at home in November 2023 she tried to combine with their all-time highest goal scorer, Mariem Houij.

Yesterday Saturday in the tournament opening match, Morocco snatched a late goal for 2-2 equalizer in group A. The 2nd group A match played earlier today, Senegal walloped DR Congo 4-0 with two players supplying a brace each (brace is scoring two goals in a match).

Mama Diop who plays for Marseille scored in the 5th and 22nd minutes while Nguer Ndiayewho plays for Bourges F18 scored in the 13th and 40th minutes. 

Algeria is playing Botswana at 8pm in the 2nd Group B match at the Stade Pere Jego Casablanca at 8pm.

Tunisia will tackle Algeria in the 2nd group B match at 5pm on Thursday 10th July and Nigeria will Botswana at 10pm all Nigeria time. Last group B matches will be played simultaneously on Sunday 13th July at 10pm between Tunisia and Botswana and Nigeria versus Algeria.