The Super Falcons secured a place in next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a 2-1 win over Cape Verde at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia on Tuesday.
The Nigerians were brutal in their rematch last Thursday at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja. with a 5-0 victory courtesy of a brace from Uchenna Kanu, Esther Okoronkwo, and Gift Monday completing the scoring.
Justin Madugu’s team was still without star attacker Asisat Oshoala and defender Ashleigh Plumptre, but they were looking for a repeat performance.
The hosts, on the other hand, had different plans and made their intentions clear with an eighth-minute goal from Racing Power attacker Ivania Moreira.
The Super Falcons pressed for an equalizer, but the Cape Verde side remained resolute taking their lone goal advantage into halftime.
The second half resumed with a Nigerian press with Madugu bringing in Okoronkwo for Kanu and the UD Tenerife forward thought she had given the away side the equaliser but her 55th minute goal was ruled offside
The 26-year-old would have to wait seven minutes to get her much-cherished goal with a solo finish to maintain the five-goal aggregate tally.
Okoronkwo was making herself a nuisance of the Cape Verde defence and almost got an assist after she set up Toni Payne but the latter couldn’t beat the opposition goalkeeper Jacinta Rodrigues.
Acting captain Rasheedat Ajibade also came close to giving the Falcons the lead, however, her effort went inches wide of the post.
Rodrigues was kept busy by the likes of Payne and Okoronkwo to keep the scoreline deadlocked.
The breakthrough would finally come for the Super Falcons from Ajibade in the 93rd minute to seal the win.