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What. A. Finale! The Super Falcons reminded everyone why they’re the blueprint of African women’s football, pulling off one of the most dramatic comebacks in WAFCON history. Down 2–0 at halftime, Nigeria flipped the script in the second half, beating hosts Morocco 3–2 to lift their record-equalling 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title on Saturday night in Rabat.
The first half? Brutal. Morocco, feeding off the energy of their packed home crowd at the Stade Olympique, came out blazing. Captain Ghizlane Chebbak opened the scoring with a clinical low finish in the 12th minute, and Sanaâ Mssoudy doubled their lead in the 24th, leaving the Falcons rattled and searching for answers. The Moroccan fans? Absolutely electric. The Super Falcons? Silent — for now.
But queens don’t fold; they regroup. Whatever Coach Justin Madugu said at halftime deserves a documentary because the Super Falcons emerged from the dressing room a completely different team. Just past the hour mark, a VAR check for handball against Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina gave Nigeria a lifeline. Esther Okoronkwo stepped up for the penalty and coolly sent the Moroccan goalkeeper the wrong way, sparking hope on the pitch and in the stands.
The momentum swung instantly. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo — now everywhere — slipped a brilliant pass through to Folashade Ijamilusi, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner. Just like that, it was 2–2, and the once-deafening Moroccan crowd went silent.
And then, the knockout blow. With two minutes left in regulation time, Okoronkwo turned provider yet again. Her perfectly weighted pass found Jennifer Echegini, who kept her composure and slotted home the winning goal in the 88th minute. Nigeria’s bench erupted. The comeback was complete.
The closing minutes were a blur of tension as Morocco pushed forward desperately, but the Super Falcons held their ground. When the final whistle blew, it was pure ecstasy for Nigeria — a record-equalling 10th WAFCON title, $1 million in prize money, and a shiny new trophy to remind everyone exactly who runs African women’s football.
For Morocco, it was heartbreak — back-to-back WAFCON final defeats. For Nigeria, it was a statement: the queens are still on their throne.
Watch the highlights below
