Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face a stern test of their continental dominance when they take on Zambia in the quarter-final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) today in Casablanca, Morocco.
The match, scheduled to kick off at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, marks the first of the quarter-final fixtures. Nigeria topped Group A with seven points and remained unbeaten, earning the right to stay in Casablanca for the knockout stage.
Zambia, who finished second in Group B with an equal number of points, also remained unbeaten in a group that included hosts Morocco and Senegal. The Copper Queens will be looking to replicate their third-place triumph over Nigeria in 2022 when they claimed a 1–0 victory in the last edition’s playoff.
Prior to that, the Super Falcons had a superior record against Zambia, defeating them 6–0 in 2014 and 4–0 in 2018 on their way to clinching their ninth WAFCON title.
However, Nigeria’s dominance has faced recent challenges. The team suffered defeats to South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia during the 2022 edition, signaling a shift in the competitive landscape of African women’s football.
Coach Justine Madugu’s side began their 2024 campaign with a convincing 3–0 win over Tunisia, followed by a narrow 1–0 victory over Botswana, and ended the group stage with a goalless draw against Algeria. While their attack has lacked fluency, the Falcons remain the only team yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
Chiwendu Ihezuo leads the scoring chart for Nigeria with two goals, while Esther Okoronkwo has impressed with two assists, both coming off the bench.
Zambia’s threat is spearheaded by star forwards Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, who have scored all three of the team’s goals in the tournament. Despite their attacking prowess, Zambia has conceded four goals in as many matches.
Nigerian defender Ashleigh Plumptre, who was named in the CAF Team of the Group Stage, acknowledged Zambia’s quality but expressed confidence in her team’s preparation.
“We take pride as a whole team to defend well,” Plumptre said. “We know Zambia have good attacking threats and we respect that. We’ve prepared not just for two players but for Zambia as a whole.”
The winner of today’s encounter will meet either reigning champions South Africa or Senegal in Tuesday’s semi-final.
