By Joke Kujenya
MOROCCO’s TWO-goal lead crumbled under Nigeria’s relentless second-half surge as the Super Falcons stormed to a 3-2 victory and secured a record-extending tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in Rabat on Saturday night.
A dramatic turnaround saw Jennifer Echegini fire home the decisive goal in the 88th minute, sealing a famous comeback at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
The Nigerian midfielder’s winner came after earlier second-half strikes from Esther Okoronkwo and Florence Ijamilusi, cancelling out Morocco’s first-half dominance.
Hosts Morocco had entered the tunnel at half-time with a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals from Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaa Mssoudy. Chebbak, the tournament’s leading scorer, opened proceedings in the 13th minute after capitalising on a defensive lapse.
Mssoudy doubled the advantage before the break, giving the Atlas Lionesses an edge that looked unassailable.
But Nigeria, beaten by Morocco in the semi-finals of the previous edition, returned with renewed aggression and tactical clarity.
Coach Justine Madugu’s side pressed high and forced errors, gradually clawing their way back.
In the 63rd minute, the tide began to turn after Ijamilusi’s hooked cross hit the arm of Nouhaila Benzina.
Okoronkwo converted the resulting penalty, halving the deficit.
Eight minutes later, Okoronkwo dashed down the right wing and squared unselfishly for Ijamilusi, who slotted home to level the score.
The stadium erupted in the 88th minute when Echegini broke through Morocco’s defensive line and struck a low shot beyond Khadija Er-Rmichi, completing Nigeria’s remarkable fightback.
This triumph marks Nigeria’s tenth continental crown and completes what the Nigeria Football Federation had dubbed “Mission X.”
The win not only affirms the team’s enduring dominance in African women’s football but also redeems their narrow 2022 loss to Morocco.
As the final whistle blew, jubilant Nigerian supporters roared from the stands, while the players embraced one another in celebration, having pulled off one of the most memorable WAFCON finals in recent memory.
