Nigeria’s Super Falcons came from two goals down in the first half to secure a 3-2 win over hosts Morocco in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday.
It was a dream start for the Atlas Lionesses, who were playing in their second consecutive final at the tournament.
Ghizlane Chebbak put her team ahead in the 12th minute to rapturous reaction from fans inside the packed Stade de Olympique Rabat.
Sanaa Mssoudy doubled the lead in the 24th minute as she put the ball at the bottom left corner of the Nigeria goal.
However, the record African champions turned the game around after the hour mark, first through a penalty in the 64th minute.
Esther Okoronkwo, who was named the Woman of the Match, stepped up to convert from the spot to halve the deficit.
With 20 minutes to go, Folashade Ijamilusi made it two all, much to the chagrin of the thousands of fans at the stadium.
Their wounds were worsened as Jennifer Echegini connected to a free kick inside the penalty area to give the West Africans a surprise lead.
They later survived a scare after referee Antsino Twanyanyukwa overruled her earlier handball call for a penalty after consulting the video assistant referee (VAR).
It was delight for the drowned Nigerian fans at the stadium as they extend their record to 10 titles, reclaiming the latest from South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
