The Super Falcons have officially booked their place at next year’s WAFCON tournament after overcoming the Amazons of Benin with a 3–1 aggregate victory on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s women’s team, who have won the continental crown ten times, laid a strong foundation for qualification with a 2–0 first-leg triumph in Lome, Togo, before settling for a 1–1 draw in the second leg held at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The home crowd had plenty to cheer about early on as Ashleigh Plumptre netted her maiden goal for the Super Falcons. She connected beautifully with a precise cross from Esther Okoronkwo, rising above the Benin defenders to head home in the 12th minute.
Benin, however, showed resilience and equalised late in the game , striking in the 80th minute ,moments after captain Rasheedat Ajibade narrowly missed a chance to double Nigeria’s lead.
Despite Nigeria’s dominance on paper, the encounter proved tougher than expected. The Benin side, featuring up to ten foreign-based players, displayed confidence and determination, refusing to be overwhelmed by the reputation of the African champions.
In the end, the Super Falcons did just enough to seal qualification and continue their quest to defend the WAFCON title they’ve held with pride for over a decade.
