The reigning continental queens are through to the quarterfinals of the championship and are one win away from their stated primary objective
Head coach Randy Waldrum has hailed the Super Falcons’ brilliant display against Burundi in the team’s last Group C match of the ongoing 2022 Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Nigeria recorded the biggest win of the competition on Sunday evening, handing a 4-0 thrashing to maiden campaigners Burundi.
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The excellent Ladies
With poster girl and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala injured and ruled out of the tournament, others had to step up to the plate for the Falcons.
And step up they did, with Atletico Madrid forward Rasheedat Ajibade netting the opener from the penalty spot before a Peace Efih effort and a Uchenna Kanu brace sealed all three points for the nine-time WAFCON winners.
What coach Waldrum said
Head coach Waldrum was impressed with the performances of all three goal scorers, as they helped the Falcons banish the memories of their opening day defeat to South Africa.
“We are improving in every game that we play. We execute our plans well and I am happy with the way the players have reacted in our last two games. We have urgency in the way that we play,” the American tactician told Cafonline.
“We have also given an opportunity to younger players to get a feel of the tournament, so that we can also rest some of the players that have played heavy minutes.
“I am very impressed. You can see tonight. We started Uchenna [Kanu] and she came through. Rasheedat [Ajibade] was great today. Peace [Ewomazino Efih] and Uchenna were great in the midfield. We have talent that is very beneficial. We have more good players to select from. I have confidence in what we are doing and we are in a really good place.”
What is next?
Nigeria boasts the best attack in Morocco, having found the back of the net seven times. The Falcons got one in the 2-1 loss to South Africa, scored twice against Botswana, and smashed four past Burundi.
The coach Waldrum-led ladies next face Cameroon in the quarterfinals, with a win needed to pick up a qualifying ticket to the FIFA World Cup.