Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu hailed his players’ mental toughness and tactical discipline following their dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Morocco in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The final, played at a packed Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Saturday night, saw Nigeria come from two goals down to defeat the host nation and claim their 10th continental crown — the most in the tournament’s history.
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Madugu, named Coach of the Tournament, praised his side’s resilience after trailing 2-0 at halftime.
“If they didn’t have mental resilience, they would have given up,” Madugu said after the game. “But they kept believing and they earned this victory.”
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He also revealed that a crucial halftime team talk was the turning point.
“We did a lot of talking at halftime,” the 61-year-old explained.
“We had a game plan, but what we wanted to avoid led to two goals (against us), and we had to make the changes we made.”
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Okoronkwo stars in historic comeback
Esther Okoronkwo played a pivotal role in the turnaround, scoring a penalty in the 64th minute before providing the assists for Nigeria’s second and third goals. She was later named Woman of the Match.
“I am very happy to be a champion. The first-half goals were unfortunate. It happens in football,” said the 27-year-old striker.
“When we went to the locker room, we gathered the fighting spirit, because it was all or nothing. The Moroccan team has chemistry; they were a tough team.”
Okoronkwo’s fine performance included setting up Folashade Ijamilusi for the equaliser in the 71st minute and later teeing up substitute Jennifer Echegini, who slotted home the winning goal in the 88th minute.
A champion’s journey
The Super Falcons’ path to the final was far from easy. They topped their group with a dominant win over Tunisia, edged Botswana by a lone goal and were held to a barren draw by Algeria.
The Super Falcons tore Zambia apart in the quarter-final before overcoming a stubborn South African team in the semi-final, setting up the final clash against Morocco — a rematch of their painful 2022 semi-final exit.
READ ALSO: Tinubu congratulates Super Falcons on WAFCON victory
This time, however, Coach Madugu and his players were determined not to let history repeat itself.
With the odds stacked against them — including a raucous home crowd — Nigeria’s women delivered a performance for the ages, writing another golden chapter in African football history.
The triumph marks Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title and reinforces its dominance as the continent’s most successful women’s national team.
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