Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon: Esther Okoronkwo’s strike sends Super Falcons to Olympic qualifiers finals

The Super Falcons will now wait for the winner of the game between South Africa and Tanzania to know their opponents in the final round 

Esther Okoronkwo scored a first-half goal for the Super Falcons to help them defeat Cameroon in the penultimate qualifying fixture for the 2024 Olympic games, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria welcomed Cameroon to the Moshood Abiola Stadium for the second leg of their 2024 Olympic qualifiers. It was a winner-takes-all game, as the first leg in Douala ended goalless after Nigeria was wrongfully denied a goal.

Coach Randy Waldrum made a surprise decision, benching Asisat Oshoala for Okoronkwo, and that decision paid off. The Super Falcons started the game on the front foot, and it took them just 14 minutes to break the deadlock, as Okoronkwo benefitted from a goalmouth scramble to poke the ball into the net.

Nigeria looked very goon on the afternoon, and they almost got their second through Jennifer Echegini in the 31st minute, but the Cameroonian goalkeeper stopped her shot from close range.

Six minutes later, Rasheedat Ajibade had her chance, but she fluffed her lines again, as the Cameroonian goalkeeper Bihina saved again to keep it at 1-0.

Waldrum’s ladies dominated the first half and could have easily scored three, but for their poor finishing.

The second half was a bit more balanced as Cameroon found their feet. But both teams failed to create much until the final ten minutes when there were a few half chances for both sides. Cameroon were further deflated in stoppage time after Enganemben Annie got sent off for unsporting conduct.

It eventually ended 1-0 in Abuja, with Nigeria sealing the vital result they needed to qualify for the final round of qualifiers, where they will face South Africa.