By Wale Mustapha
Zambia’s head coach, Nora Häuptle, has admitted that her side was thoroughly outclassed by the Super Falcons following their 5–0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Friday.
The match, held at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, saw Nigeria dominate from start to finish as the Copper Queens failed to match the intensity and quality of the nine-time African champions.
First-half goals from Osinachi Ohale, Esther Okoronkwo, and Chiwendu Ihezuo put Nigeria in firm control before Tosin Demehin and Folashade Ijamilusi sealed the emphatic win with two more goals in the second half.
Speaking after the game, Häuptle expressed disappointment but acknowledged the superiority of the Nigerian team.
“It was a very clear loss for us. Congratulations to Nigeria on a well-deserved victory,” she said.
“I think today we have to accept that Nigeria was simply better.”
Zambia, despite coming into the match with high expectations, struggled to impose themselves and fell well short of their pre-match promises.
Nigeria, coached by Justin Madugu, now progress to the semifinals where they will face reigning champions South Africa on Tuesday in Casablanca — a highly anticipated clash between two continental powerhouses.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
