Super Falcons Of Nigeria Sail Past Cameroon And Advance To 2022 WAFCON Semis And The FIFA World Cup.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria advance to the semifinals of the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Morocco and remains the only African team to have made it all editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup (ninth consecutive time).
Rasheedat Ajibade proved to be the Heroine of the day, as her lone goal made the difference against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Thursday evening.
Ifeoma Onumonu, a beanpole striker for the Falcons, met Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene's free kick in the seventh minute, but her shot missed the goal.
Rasheedat Ajibade managed to fend off her defender moments later, but her low cross into the box as a result was cleared.
Even though Ashleigh Plumptre's header from a Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene free kick in the 23rd minute was weak, it did raise some anxiety.
The Cameroonian defence however cleared the ball.
Onumonu nearly broke her duck twice, but the Lionesses defense was able to hold strong and deny her attempt.
A Nigerian opportunity was missed at the end of the half. The effort by Francesca Ordega was deflected by a Cameroonian, but Halimat Ayinde's follow-up attempt missed the target.
The Nigerians came out of the locker room firing in the second half, and it paid off when Ajibade headed home from Ifeoma Onumonu's cross in the 56th minute.
In their 10th meeting at the CAF WAFCON tournament, the Falcons won for the ninth time against the Indomitable Lionesses, who are denied the third automatic qualification spot, for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Cameroon could still be at the World Cup, as the team that is said to have finished fifth after a playoff between all the losing quarter-finalists are presented with another chance for a shot at the inter-confedertion playoffs tournament.
Meanwhile, Up next for the Super Falcons is a semi-final clash against tournament hosts Morocco on July 18 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The Atlas Lionesses defeated Botswana 2-1 on Wednesday to advance to the WAFCON last-four for the first time ever, and became the first ever North African country to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
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