The Super Falcons of Nigeria Saturday won the Women Africa Cup of Nations title in style after coming from behind to defeat Morocco 3-2 in Rabat.
The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco’s Atlas put up a superlative performance that saw them going ahead with two goals after 24 minutes at the Stade Olympique de Rabat.
The host nation went ahead in the 13th minute when Captain Ghizlane Chebbak rifled home a well-placed shot from the edge of the box, after capitalising on an inadvertent pass by midfielder Halimatu Ayinde.
Minutes later, Saana Mssoudy received the ball from a cross on the right, darted past Michelle Alozie to smash past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Five minutes before the break, Rasheedat Ajibade squared into the box as the Falcons pushed forward, but the ball agonizingly missed three of her team mates.
At the resumption of play in the second half, the Super Falcons started their fightback in the 64th minute when Esther Okoronkwo converted a penalty kick.
Okoronkwo, who was a torn in the flesh of the Moroccan defenders, took matters into her own hands again seven minutes later, bulldozing her way into the eighteen-yard box and then finding Folasade Ijamilusi who connected sweetly past the goalkeeper.
The hosts thought they had won a penalty in the 78th minute when the ball struck defender Tosin Demehin’s hand, but after a long check with the Video Assistant Referee, Namibian referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa struck off the penalty award.
The Super Falcons were now in the ascendancy, and it was no surprise when substitute Jennifer Echegini swept home the third goal from another Esther Okoronkwo free-kick in the 88th minute.
Nigeria captain Rasheedat Ajibade was named Player of the Tournament, while Africa’s best goalkeeper for the past two years, Chiamaka Nnadozie was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Victory earned Nigeria a $1 million prize and a successful ending to a Mission X campaign that caught on round the world like wildfire.
In the event, the Super Falcons decimated all three teams that had beaten them in the 2022 finals also staged in Morocco.
They defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarter finals to avenge a third-place defeat by the Copper Queens in 2022.
In the semi finals, they edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana who had beaten them 2-1 in the group stage in 2022.
While in the final, the Super Falcons defeated the Atlas Lionesses that had beaten them on penalty shootout in the semi finals in 2022.
They also kept to their record of never losing a Women AFCON Final.