The Atletico Femeni endured a less lively game against Cameroon but came up clutch to deliver the sucker-punch against the Lionesses
Up until her goal, Rasheedat Ajibade endured a frustrating evening but never stopped pushing in the game.
In the 57th minute, she got on the end of a pinpoint Ify Onumonu cross after an energetic and mazy Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene run and delivered a well-directed, cushion header beyond Mbonou in the Cameroonian goal.
The blue-haired Falcon had been snubbed hours before the game as CAF released a list of final 10 nominees for player of the year award.
At the ongoing WAFCON, she’s in the running for the player of the tournament award with joint-leading three goals and two assists in her name.
Her goal proved the perfect response as the Nigerian girls picked up a 9th consecutive World Cup ticket for Nigeria.
Ajibade said the focus is the 10th title, now known as “Decima” by a section of the Nigerian media, to indicate the team’s 10th title. The name is familiar to the Atletico star, as she plays in Spain herself and knows just what it means.
Beyond the ordinary meaning, she has also proven to be connected with the purpose.
When presented with the woman-of-the-match award, Ajibade was quick to take herself away from the plaudits, hailing her teammates and saying the very words they want to hear.
“I dedicate this trophy to my entire team. These girls are just fantastic. Without them, I will not be here before you with this reward, ” Ajibade said in her post-match interview.
“Nigeria could not afford to be absent for this meeting. There’s a new generation of Super Falcons, who arrive hungry and deserve for the world to see their talent. We know what we came here for, we want to leave with the cup, our decima, ” she said with the kind of noticeable bravado seen in her game.