Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade has insisted that the team never underestimated their West African neighbours, Benin Republic, in Tuesday’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier which ended 1–1 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
defender Ashleigh Plumptre netted her first-ever goal for Nigeria, heading in Esther Okoronkwo’s corner in the 12th minute before Benin equalised in the second half.
Nigeria sealed their qualification for the 2026 WAFCON, scheduled to hold from March 17 to April 3, as the team aims to defend their continental crown and secure early qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
The match, which ended on a 3–1 aggregate victory for Nigeria, however, Ajibade admitted that the performance was below the team’s usual standard.
“We Weren’t Overconfident” — Ajibade Clarifies
Speaking after the match, Ajibade stated that the Falcons had full respect for the Benin team from the onset, noting that their first-leg meeting in Togo had already shown how competitive the Amazons could be.
“We weren’t overconfident, to be honest,” the PSG Feminines forward said.
“We expected this because when we played against them in the first leg, we saw what happened in the second half and how hard they came at us.”
“So, we expected that they would come on hard again in this second leg.”
Ajibade highlighted that Benin’s determination to secure a result against the African champions made the tie even more challenging.
“We know they have a lot of players who are eager to get a point or something. A point against the Super Falcons is really huge for them, and we saw how they celebrated it,” she added.
Ajibade acknowledged the team’s dip in performance, however, she also viewed the encounter as a valuable learning experience ahead of future fixtures.
“Today wasn’t the best of our performances, but there are always opportunities to learn, to be better, and to focus on the next games.”
“We just have to keep our confidence high, maintain our standards, and push ourselves to be a much better team.”
Coach Justin Madugu Calls Result a ‘Wake-Up Call’
Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu also addressed the media after the match, offering a public apology to Nigerians for the team’s inability to deliver a performance that met expectations.
“I want to say for me it didn’t come as a surprise because, even during the pre-match press conference, we knew it was going to be a tough game,” Madugu said.
“It was not going to be an easy game based on what we knew about the Beninoise team.”
“However, having said that, I equally want to use this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for not meeting their expectations.”
“Each time the Super Falcons go out to play, there are always high expectations in terms of results and performance.”
The 61-year-old tactician described the outing as an “off day” but insisted that the players gave their all.
“Sometimes, there can be off days, there can be bad days, and we want to consider today’s match from that perspective,” he noted.
“Even though the performance was not what we really expected, the girls did their best, they put up their effort.”
Madugu maintained that the result should serve as a wake-up call for the reigning African champions as they prepare for the 2026 WAFCON, which will also serve as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“We are not too disappointed, we’re taking it as a wake-up call for us to know that there’s more work to be done,” he concluded.
