By Lawrence Akpan
Nigeria and Zambia, twin Africa’s fiercest women’s football powerhouses, are set to reignite their growing rivalry in what promises to be a pulsating WAFCON quarterfinal showdown in Casablanca, Friday. Nigeria’s Super Falcons, record holders and continental giants, will lock horns with a resurgent Zambian Copper Queens—Africa’s rising force—who have shown impressive grit and tactical evolution in recent years.
While Nigeria enters the tie with a legacy of dominance and experience, Zambia brings youthful exuberance, speed, and a hunger to rewrite the continent’s football hierarchy. As both sides gear up for this high-stakes encounter, the clash is shaping up to be more than just a semifinal ticket, it’s a battle for pride, legacy, and the future of women’s football in Africa.
The encounter, scheduled for the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, carries immense weight not just for a place in the semifinals but as a barometer of shifting power dynamics in African women’s football.
Nine-time champions Nigeria, long the undisputed queens of the continent, are no longer assured of easy passage.
While they dominated African women’s football for over two decades, the rise of formidable sides like South Africa, Morocco, and particularly Zambia in recent years has made the terrain far more competitive.
Zambia’s Copper Queens, once easily overpowered by Nigeria—6-0 in Namibia (2014) and 4-0 in Ghana (2018)—flipped the script in 2022 by defeating the Super Falcons in the bronze medal match in Morocco.
Their rise has been marked by improved structure, belief, and attacking firepower, embodied by players like Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji.
The Nigerian team, under coach Justine Madugu, remains resolute. “We have our strategies; we’ve studied Zambia closely. We know their threats, and we’ll be ready with the right antidote,” Madugu said confidently.
His counterpart, Swiss-born Nora Häuptle, who leads Zambia, welcomed the five-day rest advantage and sounded a warning. “Whoever we face, we’ll be ready. To reach and win the final, you must beat the best.”
Both sides are loaded with firepower and flair. Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade and Ashleigh Plumptre were named in the tournament’s Best XI for the group stage, alongside Zambia’s star trio—defender Lushomo Mweemba, prolific striker Barbra Banda, and the dynamic Rachael Kundananji.
The elite list also includes Algeria’s goalkeeper Chloe N’gazi-Boumrar, South Africa’s Bambanani Mbane, Fikile Magama and Refiloe Jane, Senegal’s Nguenar Ndiaye, and Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak.
The return of Nigeria’s midfield engine Deborah Abiodun from suspension is expected to add grit and creativity, while Esther Okoronkwo could earn her first start alongside the calm and clinical Jennifer Echegini.
Nigerian government officials, including the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hajia Hannatu Musa Musawa, have expressed strong support for the Super Falcons, urging them to rise to the occasion.
The clash is expected to be a tactical and emotional rollercoaster—a true test of credentials for two of Africa’s most ambitious sides. The winner will face either reigning champions South Africa or the ever-spirited Senegalese team in the semifinals on Tuesday.
With continental pride, legacy, and a path to the final on the line, fireworks are guaranteed. But in a match of this magnitude, lightning and thunder may not be far behind.
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