The Super Falcons of Nigeria bounced back from their defeat to Malawi with a hard-fought victory over Zambia in their second game of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Nigeria needed a win to avoid the possibility of a first-ever group-stage exit from the competition. If there was one game they would not have wanted in that situation, it was against Zambia.
The Copper Queens have grown into one of the toughest sides in African women’s football. They play with real physicality, are quick on the counter and, with the pace and power of Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji, always carry a threat.
Nigeria, however, made the brighter start and their early pressure paid off.
Skipper Rasheedat Ajibade played a quick ball over Zambia’s high defensive line, and Asisat Oshoala showed she still has the pace to get in behind. She raced into the box, but a heavy touch allowed goalkeeper Natasha Nali to get there first.
A few seconds later, the same move almost worked again. Oshoala got onto another ball over the top, tried to beat her defender, but couldn’t find a way through.
The breakthrough finally came in the eighth minute.
Ajibade again picked out Oshoala with a ball over the top. Oshoala won the race, forced a save from Nali, but the rebound ricocheted off the Asisat Oshoala and into the net to hand Nigeria the lead they had been searching for.
Nigeria continued to threaten, while Zambia looked to use Banda’s strength to trouble the Nigerian defence.
The game changed in the 26th minute.
Tosin Demehin was shown a yellow card for a challenge that looked questionable in the first place. It almost became worse as the referee spent a long time checking for a possible red card before an offside against Banda spared Nigeria. It would have been an incredibly harsh decision.
Demehin, though, was involved again before half-time.
This time she was sent off in the 41st minute after pulling Banda back. It was another decision that can be argued, but Nigeria were left to play the rest of the game with 10 players.
They managed to hold on to their lead until the break.
The second half became a different challenge entirely.
With a player down, Nigeria had to try to hold on whilst still attacking when they could, while head coach Justine Madugu adjusted his side with a number of substitutions to keep things compact.
Special credit must go to Christy Ucheibe, who slotted into defence after Demehin’s dismissal and handled herself brilliantly. She stayed composed, won her battles and helped Nigeria see out the game.
Ajibade was equally outstanding. She kept running, kept fighting for every ball and produced the kind of performance expected from a captain in a moment like this.
Oshoala also reminded everyone why she remains the greatest African player. She may no longer be at the peak of her powers, but performances like this show why she dominated the continent for so many years and why she remains one of Africa’s finest.
It was an important win for Nigeria, and every member of the team deserves credit for digging deep under difficult circumstances.
The Super Falcons now turn their attention to Egypt in their final group game, knowing they may need not only another victory but also goals, depending on the outcome of the other fixture, to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
