WAFCON 2024: Super Falcons in win or burst semi-final showdown with South Africa’s Banyana

 

From Harry Awurumibe in Casablanca

After an emphatic 5-0 whitewash of Zambia’s Copper Queens parading the most-dread front-three of reigning African Best Player of the Year (Women’s) Barbra Banda and co-conspirators Rachel Kundananji and Grace Chanda in last Friday’s quarter-final clash in the ongoing CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, the Super Falcons of Nigeria will take on yet another formidable opponents in South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in a crucial semi-final match at the same stadium today in Casablanca.

In the beginning, an encounter between Nigeria and South Africa’s senior women’s football team will not give the Nigerian side any sleepless nights because the South Africans were no match to the West Africans who were the early pioneers of women’s football in Africa dating back to 1990s.

In fact, statistics paint a storied “rivalry” between Nigeria and South Africa as in 25 total meetings in all competitions, Nigeria has won 15, South Africa four, with six draws. This can be called a total dominance that has lasted decades and counting.

Indeed, the Banyana Banyana were once routine victims of the Falcons. It took South Africa 17 years after their first meeting in a 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers to register a win over Nigeria, a 1-0 triumph in WAFCON tie in a better forgotten campaign in Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

Three other victories over Nigeria were the 1-0 win in the group stage of WAFCON 2018 in Ghana; a famous 4-2 win over an understrength Nigerian side at the 2021 Aisha Buhari Invitational in Lagos; and South Africa’s 2-1win in the group stage of the last WAFCON in Morocco as they went on to lift their maiden title. Since then, the defending champions are in the fantasy world.

But that was all South Africa can boast as the nine-time African champions got their revenge last year, edging out the Banyana in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games women’s football tournament African qualifiers to book their first Olympic Games ticket in 16 years. A 1-0 win in Abuja and a barren draw in Pretoria gited Nigeria the Olympics ticket at expense of South Africa.

Now, the Super Falcons are primed for a high-stakes semi-finals clash with their rivals today just as the odds favour them because in 10 meetings in WAFCON competition, Nigeria leads with six wins to South Africa’s three, while one match, the Ghana 2018 finals, ended in a draw before Nigeria triumphed on penalties.

Although times have changed and the WAFCON defending champions are now flexing their muscles after a few victories over Nigeria as listed above and boasting of one African title won in 2022, Nigeria has all it takes to once again beat South Africa when both countries meet today in Casablanca.

Luckily, the most successful women’s national team in Africa now under the watchful eyes of head coach Justin Madugu walloped Zambia 5-0 last week to answer their critics even as they have continued to grind out results while South Africa toiled against a Senegal side that will surely regret an opportunity missed during their quarter-finals tie.

Today, Madugu, whose coaching pedigree has started to manifest after guiding Nigeria through four matches in Morocco without losing any, winning three against Tunisia 3-0, Botswana 1-0, and Zambia 5-0, drawing with Algeria 0-0 and scoring nine goals without conceding a single goal, will have to dig deep into his coaching credentials to fashion out the winning formular to defeat South Africa in the high-stakes clash in Casablanca.

Brimming with confidence after a commanding 5-0 demolition of Zambia in the quarter-finals, the Super Falcons are determined to halt Banyana Banyana’s bid for back-to-back titles and continue their “Mission X” campaign toward reclaiming continental supremacy.

History favours the Super Falcons as in the 27-year of WAFCON, Nigeria has never failed to reach the semifinals, and that record remained unbroken after Friday’s ruthless display against Zambia, even as beating South Africa to qualify for Saturday’s finals in Rabat will be the icing on the cake for Madugu and his girls who are hungry for glory.

Debate has been fierce over the past few weeks as to which team is the best in Africa, between the Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana and that question will be properly addressed to at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium on this evening.

Interestingly, Nigeria boasts of the best defence in the ongoing competition and has quality players who are playing in the best women’s football leagues in the world, including Mexico-based forward Chinwendu Veronica Ihezuo, who is firmly in the race for the top scorer’s award, as she is presently on three goals, one behind Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak and Senegalese forward Nguenar Ndiaye.

The former youth international who has FIFA Goalscorer’s Award to her name will be supported by China-based rising star Folashade Florence Ijamilusi and Esther Okoronkwo upfront while the midfield trio of Deborah “Kante” Abiodun, Captain Rasheedat Ajibade aka Mama GO and Jennifer Onyinyechi Echegini.

Nigeria is rock-solid at the rear with an iron-clad defence ace Osinachi Mavis Ohale, Blessing Oluwatosin Demehin, Mitchell Alozie and Ashley Plumptre aka “Oyinbo Wall” protecting the reigning African Best Goalkeeper Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie in goalposts.

As was observed in the last match Zambia, Madugu and his technical crew may tweak their tactics to surprise the South African team’s head coach and current African Best Coach, Dr. Desireè Ellis, who is expected to field the same line-up as in their last game against Senegal.

In current form, Nigeria has an edge over South Africa, a team that has conceded goals in the tournament and will still concede to the Super Falcons that have discovered their scoring boots in the 5-0 demolition of Zambia last Friday.

Go Super Falcons, Go Girls!