Nigeria kicked off their pursuit of a spot in next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) impressively, securing a 5-0 victory against Cape Verde at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Thursday.
Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo both netted twice, while Monday Gift added another goal as the Super Falcons secured a resounding victory over the underdogs.
Despite the absence of star striker Asisat Oshoala, the reigning WAFCON champions displayed dominance throughout the match. They initiated the game strongly, and Uchenna Kanu quickly put them on the scoreboard with a close-range tap-in just seven minutes into the match.
Although Cape Verde attempted to level the score, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie made an impressive save in the 16th minute to thwart their efforts.
Nine minutes later, the Nigerian team capitalized on a goalmouth scramble, with Gift bundling the ball home to double the Super Falcons’ lead. In the 33rd minute, Rasheedat Ajibade narrowly missed the target with a shot.
However, Kanu’s contributions did not end there. She successfully converted a Toni Payne cross right at the 45th-minute mark, extending the home side’s lead to three.
Upon the commencement of the second half, Nigeria continued to exert pressure on the Cape Verdean team. However, it wasn’t until the 66th minute, with substitute Esther Okoronkwo replacing Gift, that the Super Falcons secured their fourth goal from Esther Akudo Ogbonna’s cross.
Okoronkwo completed her brace eleven minutes later, scoring the fifth goal for Nigeria. This strike further solidified the Falcons‘ dominance over their opponents.
With the task accomplished, interim coach Madugu Justine made strategic substitutions, bringing in Tochukwu Oluehi for Nnadozie in goal, and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu made her debut by coming on for Esther Akudo.
The return leg of the match is scheduled for Tuesday in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. The victorious team from both encounters will earn a spot in the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco.
Thursday’s match marked Madugu’s third appearance as the interim coach for the Super Falcons, maintaining his role in the continued absence of Head Coach Randy Waldrum.
?FULL TIME! in Abuja ?
Nigeria ?? 5-0 Cape Verde ??
⚽⚽@UcheOfficial_ Kanu 7′, 45′
⚽@GiftMonday21 25′
⚽⚽ Esther Okoronkwo 66′, 77′#SoarSuperFalcons| #WAFCONQualifiers| #NGACAP| #Morocco2024 pic.twitter.com/ADwJ1RsVB6— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) November 30, 2023