Rinsola Babajide delivered a dazzling performance on Sunday night, making her presence felt with both a goal and an assist as Nigeria cruised to a 3-0 win over Tunisia in their first game of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 27-year-old, who’s competing in her first major championship for Nigeria, had previously featured in a few low-key matches — her international debut came in October 2023 during an Olympic qualifier against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
She entered that match late, subbing in during the 77th minute to take Uchenna Kanu’s spot on the field.
Opportunities had been limited ever since. She was overlooked for the Olympics and other key games, collecting just five national team appearances prior to this tournament.
But that changed dramatically on Sunday. Coach Justine Madugu gave her a starting shirt, and she immediately showed why. Just four minutes in, she drew a foul down the left wing and delivered a sweet set-piece that found Asisat Oshoala for Nigeria’s opener. She later put her name on the scoresheet with a slick finish right before halftime.
“A dream start and debut,” the Tenerife forward wrote via X on Monday.
“Over the moon to have scored my first international goal for my country. What a feeling! Thank you, God, for giving us this day.”
Reflecting on her long-awaited breakthrough, Babajide admitted that scoring lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. With her confidence high, she’s now aiming for bigger things.
“It’s a big relief more than anything. I’ve had a few appearances, and a few assists, but I was always missing that first goal. So, I’m so happy to get that out of the way finally and also to contribute towards the win in such a big tournament. It’s such a privilege.
“We want the trophy. It’s a new trophy, we really want it. But yeah, game by game, just to have a better performance each game, and score as many goals as possible.”
Nigeria’s next test will be against Botswana on Thursday, as the Super Falcons continue their mission to claim a record-extending 10th continental crown.
