By Daily Sports Nigeria on July 18, 2027

Super Falcons coach, Justine Madugu, is fired up by the team’s quality as Nigeria’s credentials in African women’s football will be put to the test on Friday (today) against Zambia in the first quarter-final match of the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco, The PUNCH reports.

Today’s encounter between the nine-time champions and the 2022 bronze medallists is scheduled for the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, where the Falcons earned the right to remain after topping their group with seven points.

Zambia might have finished second in their group to get a date with Nigeria, but they also finished with seven points in a group that has hosts Morocco and Senegal.

The game will be the fourth meeting at the continental showpiece between the two countries, the most recent being the 1-0 victory for Zambia in the third-place playoff during the last edition in 2022.

Before then, the Super Falcons had shown total dominance over the Copper Queens, beating them 6-0 during a group stage meeting in 2014 as well as another 4-0 thrashing four years later, en route to winning their ninth title.

While it could be said that times have changed in African women’s football, the Super Falcons have been humbled since the last edition in 2022, losing to South Africa, Morocco and then Zambia.

Led by coach Justine Madugu, the team return to Morocco with the ambition of winning a 10th continental title, but the road to the final will indeed get more slippery, having not impressed in the group stages as well.

They started the tournament with a 3-0 win over Tunisia, but the 1-0 win over Botswana in their second game was less impressive, while they wrapped their group stage run up with a tepid goalless draw against Algeria.

Chiwendu Ihezuo, who featured as a substitute in the first two games, is the country’s top scorer with two goals, while another starter from the bench, Esther Okoronkwo, has been the team’s most influential player with two assists.

The positive for Nigeria from that run is their defensive record of not conceding any goal, but that is about to be tested against a sharp double-edged Zambia attack that is run by reigning African Women’s Player of the Year, Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji. Both players are on three goals each at the tournament, and that is all Zambia have scored while they have conceded four goals as well.

Super Falcons coach, Madugu, is aware of Zambia’s threat and insists they are beatable.

“For us, we are preparing against Zambia. We know the players and their strengths, and we have their plans on how to deal with that. They too are uncomfortable coming up against us because they know what we can do as well,” Madugu said in his pre-match interview.

Defender Ashleigh Plumptre, who made the CAF team of the group stage, also said, “We do take pride as a whole team to defend well, and I think we defend as one and attack as one. Our threats can come from different places, and that puts us in a good position against a team like this.

“We know that Zambia have really good attacking threats and we respect that and we have prepared for that. We don’t prepare for two players, we prepare for Zambia as a whole.”

The winner between Nigeria and Zambia will have to square up to the challenge of cup holders South Africa or perhaps the exciting Senegalese ladies in next Tuesday’s semi-finals.

Source Punch Ng

Posted July 18, 2025

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