A revengeful Super Falcons of Nigeria delivered a fearsome reminder of their dominance in African women’s football on Sunday, thrashing Zambia 5-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Goals from Osinachi Ohale, Esther Okoronkwo, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Blessing Demehin, and Folashade Ijamilusi ensured the Super Falcons booked a record-extending 13th semifinal appearance, a message to their critics and a warning to the rest of the continent.
From the opening whistle to the final kick, Nigeria showcased their pedigree, outclassing a Zambian side that had allegedly come to the game to hunt led by Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji. However, the Falcons weren’t just playing to win, they were playing for respect.
Super Falcons Fueled by Disrespect
Head coach Justin Madugu revealed post-match that pre-game media noise, including Zambia coach Nora Hauptle’s comments about “going hunting,” stoked the fire inside his players.
“The girls follow social media; they see reports, they hear comments that are made by the opposition,” said Madugu.
“They want to earn more respect for themselves because they believe, so far in the competition, they have not been given the kind of respect that they know they deserve.”
“Over the last two or three days, there was a lot of determination in the girls to make sure they use this match to earn some respect for themselves.”
“It was a motivation for them. You can see the way they played today. Everybody gave their all, gave their best to get the win today.”
“We didn’t play to defend, we went out to play. The girls deserve credit for it.”
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade echoed the sentiments, stating the Falcons were underestimated and that was exactly what lit their fire.
“Before the game, we were really underrated to be honest and there was so much hype and so much noise on the Zambian side,” she said.
“We heard all of that and, to be honest, those are the words that also inspire us a lot because we like it when people try to show themselves.”
“It is in these moments when they underrate us that we try to step up and show who we are as a team.”
“Our game plan basically was to focus on ourselves and do what we need to do to win the game.”
Super Falcons Tactical Masterclass: Madugu’s Selections Pay Off
Madugu’s rotation policy has been a constant throughout his interim tenure, and once again, he made bold calls. Notably, big names like Asisat Oshoala, Deborah Abiodun, and Rinsola Babajide started on the bench.
Instead, it was Okoronkwo, Jennifer Echegini, Ihezuo, and Ijamilusi who got the nod and all delivered.
“The coach’s job is a thankless one. It comes with a lot of pressures, which always come, you’ll always face criticism in one area or another,” Coach Madugu said.
“I believe in what we do, what the girls are doing, and we just keep on going. I can’t stop someone from talking, but we don’t get distracted by these things.”
Okoronkwo, a former restaurant worker in Florida turned national star, has been one of the breakout performers of the tournament.
“Esther is a very key player in the team, a very fine striker,” Madugu said.
“She works for the team, she can play upfront alone, hold the ball and allow others to also come to give her good support.”
“She has done well for the Super Falcons, even in previous games we have played; she has been consistent in goal contributions, irrespective of the time she comes in. She either creates or she scores.”
“But she is still developing. She has not got to where we know she can get to. She is a greatly player, she has a lot of potential.”
Zambia’s Gamble Backfires
For Zambia, coach Nora Hauptle rolled the dice and it blew up spectacularly.
“We said now we go all in because it is a quarterfinal so we release the defenders,” Hauptle said.
“And we mirror their system, and say now we go one-on-one and try to press through and take the full risk.”
That risk was punished repeatedly, as Nigeria found space between the lines, especially with Zambia opting not to deploy a low block a tactic that had worked for other teams against Nigeria.
“Today we need to accept that in all areas they were better than us,” Hauptle admitted.
“Winning the duels in offense, winning the duels in defense, having control in the air, especially in the offense.”
“They were more physical than us, better than us; fantastic performance from their side.”
Defender Ashleigh Plumptre pointed to that tactical difference:
“The teams that we played before this game, [Algeria] respected us by playing in a low block,” she said.
“That made it a lot harder to get the goals. Zambia were a bit more offensive so that allowed us to get the spaces in behind, and be a little bit more creative.”
Statement Victory, Semifinal Bound
With this win, Nigeria continue to carry the weight of expectation with elegance, brushing aside a Zambian side many tipped to challenge for the title.
They now shift their attention to the semifinals, where they will battle with WAFCON defending champions, South Africa for a spot in the finals on Tue
Madugu is clear-eyed about the challenge ahead, but believes this group is special.
“In previous games, the opposition decided to park the bus and play a low block. That made it a bit difficult for us to play the kind of football that people expected,” coach Madugu said.
“The girls did the best they could; they still created chances, but conversion of those chances was a problem.”
“We kept emphasizing that it is a still a work in progress, that we are still looking at our areas of weakness, particularly opportunities at set-pieces.”
“We kept working on them, and then finishing in front of goal. Today, we are seeing the result; the girls have done well. We continue and hope that they keep it up.”
