Nigerian Community in Morocco Demands Stronger Fan Mobilisation for Super Falcons’ Zambia Clash

The Nigerian community in Morocco has called on tournament officials to urgently improve fan mobilisation for the Super Falcons’ crucial Group C encounter against Zambia after the team’s disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi.

Supporters are hoping to pack Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium and create a lively atmosphere for the decisive fixture, following the poor turnout of Nigerian fans during the opening match.

Speaking with Persecondnews in Rabat on Wednesday, Nigerian resident Emeka Okafor described the attendance of Nigerian supporters against Malawi as “embarrassing,” saying it was possible to “practically count every Nigerian” inside the stadium.

According to him, while more than 200 Malawian supporters arrived early and generated an electric atmosphere before kickoff, barely 30 Nigerians were present, with most of them comprising officials and members of the media.

Okafor noted that previous editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations featured coordinated ticket allocations for Nigerian community groups, making it easier to mobilise supporters. He said this year’s tournament has lacked such organisation.

“There needs to be an urgent effort to bring more Nigerians to the stadium for the Zambia match,” he said. “Many Nigerian associations and community groups are not even aware that the tournament is taking place because there has been little or no awareness campaign.”

Nigeria’s title defence suffered an early setback as tournament debutants Malawi stunned the nine-time champions with a dramatic 3-2 victory in the Group C opener.

The Chawinga sisters inspired the historic win, with Temwa Chawinga opening the scoring in the 74th minute before Tabitha Chawinga doubled the advantage moments later as Malawi repeatedly exposed Nigeria’s fragile defence.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade reduced the deficit from the penalty spot to revive Nigeria’s hopes, but Temwa Chawinga struck again to restore Malawi’s two-goal cushion and complete her brace.

Substitute Uchenna Kanu pulled one back late in the contest, but the Super Falcons were unable to find an equaliser as Malawi held on to record one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history.

The result marked a memorable first-ever victory for Malawi at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and one of the tournament’s most dramatic opening-match triumphs.

With Nigeria now facing a must-win clash against Zambia, members of the Nigerian community in Morocco are urging officials to coordinate ticket distribution and fan mobilisation efforts to ensure the Super Falcons enjoy stronger support from the stands.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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