By Charles Igbo
President Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi, celebrate Team’s triumph
For the first 45 minutes of the match on Saturday evening, July 26, 2025, it was all quiet in Nigeria. Everybody, almost, wore a long face. Not for nothing. The Country’s Female Football Team, the Super Falcons, was being beaten in the finals of the Women African Cup of Nations, WAFCON, finals by the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco, the host country.
Nigeria was two goals down. But it, finally, ended in praise when miraculously, Nigeria defeated Morocco to lift the WAFCON Cup for the 10th time.
An excited President Bola Tinubu and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, both led the millions of joyous Nigerians to celebrate the victory.
In a video call to the triumphant girls, the President assured them they would be celebrated.
To carry the day, the Nigerian girls survived the first half scare, and snatched victory from the lion’s mouth.
In the first half when Nigeria was two goals down, not a few people had lost hope.
The Moroccans had taken the lead in the 12th minute courtesy of Team Captain Ghizlane Chebbak. It upped it in the 23rd minute when Mssoudy, wearing Jersey number 18, doubled the lead.
But in the second half, the Nigerian spirit of never-say-die surfaced in full force. The Super Falcons returned in a superb manner. This paid off in the 64th minute through a penalty kick superbly tucked in by playmaker Esther Okoronkwo.
In the 71st minute, Ijamilusi sent the Nigerian camp agog when she latched unto a pass from Esther Okoronkwo, and gave Nigeria the equaliser.
The crown came in the 88th minute when Joy Echegini netted in a free kick, again, taken by Esther Okoronkwo to give Nigeria a 3 -2 win over the hard-fighting Atlas Lionesses.
This third goal triggered an unprecedented celebration in the Nigerian Camp as well as back home, and heaped tears and weeping on the Moroccan Camp.
With that, Nigeria secured its 10th victory in WAFCON.
Not surprisingly, Super Falcons Esther Okoronkwo won the CAF/TOTAL ENERGIES Woman of the Match Award. Nigeria’s Goal keeper, Cynthia Chiamaka Nnadozie won the Best Goalkeeper Award of the Tournament, while Super Falcons Captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, left Morocco with the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Morocco’s Lionesses did not go home empty handed. Aside from the Silver Medal, its 35-year old Captain, Chebbak won the Tournament’s Golden Boot Award for scoring a total of five goals.
With a- 54.2% Ball Possession Super Falcons has won in the 10 WAFCON Finals the team participated in.
The Super Falcons went into the finals with a huge support from Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu, in a personally signed statement, told the girls to bring the trophy back home as the country was waiting and rooting for them. He also sent a high profile Federal Government delegation made up, mainly, of Female Cabinet members. First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu urged then to come home with the cup, and so did Peter Obi, Labour Party Presidential Candidate in 2023 who told the girls to exhibit discipline, resilience and come home with the cup.
Ghana, earlier, on Friday, beat South Africa in the third place Match to clinch the Bronze Medal.
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