The Super Falcons of Nigeria put up a valiant display to defeat Zambia 1-0 in their second Group C fixture at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat, Morocco.
Asisat Oshoala’s early goal proved enough for the defending champions to earn their first victory of the tournament despite playing more than half the match with fewer players.
The Super Falcons stepped out to the Al Madina Stadium on Saturday with the albatross of their shocking loss to Malawi in the opening match weighing on them. Chiamaka Nnadozie, the team’s goalkeeper who received the largest portion of the blame for the defeat, promised that they had learnt from their errors and were ready to bounce back in the following game. The goalkeeper was in tears after the victory, her body reacting to the online backlash she got after the previous loss.
Nigeria had defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarter-final of the last WAFCON, and the team looked set for another whitewashing of their opponents when they raced to the lead in the eighth minute.
Oshoala, who returned to the starting lineup, raced after a long pass from the halfway line into the Zambian area, blitzing past two defenders before controlling the ball. Her first shot was straight at Hazel Nali, but the ball ricocheted onto Oshoala’s leg and bounced into an empty net to give the Falcons a dream start.
The match shifted dramatically in the 39th minute when Oluwatosin Demehin was shown a straight red card following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for a foul on Zambia’s Barbra Banda. The numerical disadvantage put Falcons under immense pressure for the remainder of the contest.
The Super Falcons demonstrated grit and tactical discipline to protect their slim lead after going down to 10 players late in the first half.
Zambia pushed forward in search of an equaliser during the second period. However, Nigeria’s defensive setup and crucial saves from Chiamaka Nnadozie frustrated the Copper Queens.
Substitutions midway through the second half, including the introduction of Chinwendu Ihezuo, helped Nigeria retain shape and break up Zambian attacks.
The hard-fought win revives Nigeria’s WAFCON title defence after a surprising 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their opening group game.
Nigeria will close out their Group C fixtures against Egypt on Matchday 3 as they aim to secure automatic qualification for the knockout stages.
