The Super Falcons of Nigeria have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), following a 1-0 win over the Mares of Botswana in their second Group B game at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday, July 10.

Nigeria came into the tie top of the group and full of confidence, having cruised past Tunisia with a 3-0 win in their opening match last Sunday. Botswana, on the other hand, were a side under pressure. They needed maximum points to revive their campaign, having slumped to a 1-0 loss against Algeria in their first game and sat bottom of the group.

Given what was at stake, Falcons head coach Justin Magudu named an unchanged lineup from the side that started against Tunisia, as the nine-time African champion aimed to secure early qualification to the knockout stage. 

However, what unfolded was far from the dominant performance of last weekend. The Super Falcons laboured against an uninspired Botswana side. The West African giants looked disjointed and sluggish for large parts of the game, struggling to string together meaningful passes or create clear chances.

That remained the case for more than 80 minutes, until the 89th, when substitute Chinwendu Ihezuo swiftly pounced on Esther Okoronkwo’s delivery to tap home the winner and seal all three points for Nigeria. 

The win keeps the Falcons at the top of Group B with six points from two matches, making them the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of WAFCON 2024. Botswana, meanwhile, are officially out of the competition following back-to-back defeats.

Next up for the Super Falcons is a final group-stage clash against Algeria, who sit second with four points after drawing with Tunisia earlier today.