What a game. What a comeback. What a sweet, sweet victory!
Nigeria’s dramatic 3–2 comeback win over hosts Morocco to clinch the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations was deeply fulfilling, a moment that will be remembered for generations.
From losing hope in the first half as Morocco raced to a 2–0 lead, to watching the Super Falcons claw their way back in the second half, the match delivered pulse-pounding action and emotion. By the final whistle, we were left breathless and in awe.
At halftime, I messaged my Chief Editor, Ayomide Oguntimehin. He told me he had turned off the match, he couldn’t risk stressing his blood pressure.
“Don’t take it too seriously,” I replied. “It’s just football.”
But that was my way of coping with the pain of that first-half deficit. I’ve learned, in both football and life, that it’s best to stay calm when things don’t go your way.
Is football life or death?
I first realised that football wasn’t life or death, at least not for the players, during Nigeria’s loss to Côte d’Ivoire in the opening game of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Sekondi-Takoradi. I was pitch-side, and after the match, I saw Super Eagles players exchanging shirts and embracing the Ivorians.
It hit me then: to the players, this is just sport. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And afterwards, you shake hands.
But for fans watching from home, whose identity and pride are deeply tied to their national team, defeat can feel much more serious. For some, it’s skipping dinner in the midst of heartbreak. I remember missing out on my mom’s fufu after Nigeria’s painful 1994 World Cup loss to Italy, sobbing myself to sleep.
For others, it’s more tragic, devastating even. We lost fellow fans during Nigeria’s run to the last AFCON final in Abidjan.
For fans, football really can feel like life or death.
That’s why I’ve learned to temper my expectations. I don’t even celebrate wins like I used to. Gone are the days of shouting at the screen or jumping up and down. Now, I just watch and chill, win or not.
A tactical battle of coaches
Yet this Super Falcons victory demands celebration. Heading into the match, I was focused on the coaching duel that would unfold on the sidelines.
On one side stood Nigeria’s Edwin Madugu, 61, a seasoned coach who won WAFCON titles in 2014 and 2018 as an assistant, and who had recently stepped in as interim head coach.
Opposite him was Jorge Vilda, the former Spanish coach brought in to elevate Morocco’s women’s team after their 2022 WAFCON final appearance and debut at the 2023 World Cup. Though Vilda led Spain to a World Cup title in 2023, his legacy was marred by the infamous Rubiales-Hermoso scandal and his eventual dismissal.
With all this experience in both dugouts, the stage was set.
Morocco’s early 2–0 lead seemed to validate Vilda’s strategy, and WhatsApp groups lit up with criticism of Madugu. Some said he’d been tactically outclassed.
But the second half told a different story.
From the restart, Nigeria pressed harder, cut off Morocco’s wing play, and controlled the midfield. Madugu’s substitutions clicked. Esther Okoronkwo led the attacking charge with precision.
Then came the drama: VAR-denied penalty, laser lights in the players’ faces, and the final match-winner, an exquisite free kick to Jennifer Echegini that sealed the 3–2 comeback.
When the final whistle blew, “Mission X” was truly accomplished.
Honouring the women who came before
This victory isn’t just about this team, it’s a legacy moment. It’s time to immortalise the women who paved the way for this 10th WAFCON title.
We know famous names like Eucharia Uche, Mercy Akide, and Perpetua Nkwocha, but there are many more who helped bring us to La Decima.
From Nigeria’s first women’s national team in 1991 to this present squad, spanning 34 years, these pioneers deserve lasting recognition. Monuments. Statues. Hall of Fame tributes.
They shattered barriers for generations of Nigerian girls and women. Let’s give them their flowers now, while they’re still here to receive them.
Long may the Super Falcons reign.
Viva Falcons, viva!
