Esther Okoronkwo emerged as the heroine with one goal and two assists as Nigeria’s Super Falcons completed their ‘Mission X’ by winning a remarkable 10th TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title, staging an extraordinary second-half comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Saturday night.
Goals from Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Jennifer Echegini overturned Morocco’s strong first-half lead built through strikes from captain Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaâ Mssoudy, stunning the Atlas Lionesses who were hoping to clinch their first-ever continental title on home soil.
Morocco got off to a dream start in the 21,000-capacity venue. With just 13 minutes on the clock, captain Chebbak opened the scoring with a brilliant strike from outside the box, curling the ball low past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Things got even better for Jorge Vilda’s Atlas Lionesses in the 24th minute when Mssoudy doubled Morocco’s lead. A slick pass from Ibtissam Jraidi found Mssoudy in space, and the winger made no mistake with a composed finish into the bottom right corner.
Nigeria appeared stunned and went into the break trailing by two goals, facing an uphill battle against a Moroccan side that had already shown their comeback credentials during the tournament.
But coach Justin Madugu’s half-time talk sparked a spirited response from the Super Falcons, who had found balance throughout the tournament with physicality at the back, dominance in midfield and a potent front three.
The comeback began just after the hour mark when a VAR review handed Nigeria a lifeline. A handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Okoronkwo to make it 2-1 in the 64th minute.
From that moment, momentum swung decisively Nigeria’s way. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo turned provider, slipping a neat ball into the path of Ijamilusi, who drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to bring Nigeria level.
With the match heading towards extra time, Nigeria found the winner that completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in WAFCON history. A well-worked set-piece situation saw Okoronkwo once again at the heart of the action, delivering a clever assist to Echegini, who calmly slotted home in the 88th minute to seal a remarkable turnaround.
Despite late pressure and a flurry of Moroccan attacks in a tense finale, the Super Falcons held firm through stoppage time to preserve their lead.
It was a heartbreaking end for Morocco, whose investment in the women’s game in recent years had raised hopes of a first continental triumph. The Atlas Lionesses had impressed throughout the tournament but fell just short of their historic goal.
But the night belonged to the Super Falcons, whose experience, depth and never-say-die spirit propelled them to yet another African title — their 10th in 13 editions of the competition.
Okoronkwo was named Player of the Match, while Nnadozie won Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Morocco captain Chebbak finished as the competition’s top scorer.
Rasheedat Ajibade was crowned Player of the Tournament for her outstanding performances throughout the competition.
The triumph not only extended Nigeria’s unmatched legacy on the continent but also served as a resounding statement that, even in the face of rising challengers, they remain the team to beat in African women’s football.
Nigeria will collect $1m in prize money as well as the new-look WAFCON trophy, cementing their status as queens of African football and successfully completing their mission to reclaim the title they last won in 2018.
