Women's Africa Cup: Super Falcons Beat South Africa, Qualify for WAFCON Final
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Super Falcons of Nigeria have sealed a place in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after edging past defending champions South Africa in a thrilling 2-1 semifinal clash.
OTN News further reports that Nigeria’s victory came after a tense and closely contested match in which both sides battled hard for supremacy.
The Super Falcons started brightly and nearly took the lead in the opening 12 minutes. Chiwendu Ihezuo came close in the 11th minute after a precise through ball from Ashleigh Plumptre, but South Africa’s goalkeeper, Andile Dlamini, produced a stunning save to deny her.
Just a minute later, Esther Okoronkwo’s powerful strike was also parried away by the alert shot-stopper.
Despite their control in midfield, South Africa struggled to create clear chances, rarely testing Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie in the first half.
Nigeria finally broke the deadlock just before halftime. In the 44th minute, Bomgeka Gamede was penalised for handling the ball inside the box, and Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade stepped up to convert the resulting penalty. Although the South Africa Goalkeeper, Dlamini got a hand on it, but she couldn’t prevent the ball from finding the back of the net.
The Banyana Banyana of South Africa responded in the second half and were awarded a penalty of their own on the hour mark. Linda Motlhalo made no mistake from the spot, drawing her side level at 1-1.
With the match heading towards extra time, Nigeria’s persistence paid off deep into stoppage time. The Super Falcons’ right-back struck a sensational long-range effort that flew past Dlamini, sealing a dramatic late winner and sparking celebrations among Nigerian players and fans.
The win sends Nigeria into the WAFCON final, where they will be aiming to reclaim the title and extend their record as the most successful team in the competition's history.
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