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Super Falcons dominate WAFCON 2024 honours
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s triumphant women’s national team capped off a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title with a clean sweep of top individual awards, underlining their dominance at the 2024 tournament in Morocco.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade was named Player of the Tournament, a deserved honour for her inspirational performances and leadership throughout Nigeria’s unbeaten campaign.
The 24-year-old forward was pivotal in both attack and build-up play, embodying the grit and brilliance that defined Nigeria’s “Mission X”.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, widely regarded as Africa’s finest shot-stopper over the past two years, clinched the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.
Her consistency, commanding presence, and critical saves were key to Nigeria conceding just three goals en route to the title.
Moroccan captain Ghizlane Chebbak finished as top scorer, netting five goals in six matches to help the hosts reach their second consecutive final.
The title winning coach, Justine Madugu emerged as coach of the tournament after leading Nigeria to an indomitable 10th WAFCON title.
Meanwhile, South Africa, the 2022 champions, were honoured with the Fair Play Award after finishing fourth.
Their disciplined approach and sportsmanship earned them recognition from CAF officials.
Nigeria’s remarkable run was also rewarded financially, with the team receiving $1 million in prize money — a fitting conclusion to a campaign that captivated fans across Africa and beyond.
In a stunning twist of fate, the Super Falcons defeated all three teams that had bested them during the 2022 WAFCON — also held in Morocco — to complete a full-circle redemption.
In the quarterfinals, they thrashed Zambia 5-0, avenging their third-place loss from 2022.
The semifinal saw them edge South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 2-1, reversing a group stage defeat from the previous edition.
In the final, Nigeria overcame a 2-0 first-half deficit to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2, who had eliminated them on penalties in the 2022 semifinals.
The victory also preserved Nigeria’s perfect record in WAFCON finals, having never lost a final in the competition’s history.
The 2024 triumph reinforced Nigeria’s place at the pinnacle of African women’s football and sent a powerful message ahead of the 2026 title defense and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
