Asisat Oshoala scored the only goal as the Super Falcons of Nigeria claimed a hard fought 1-0 victory against Choppa Queens of Zambia at the ongoing Women’s AFCON 2026.
The Falcons returned to winning ways at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought victory in a crucial Group C encounter. The Nigeria Women’s national team produced a determined display from start to finish.
Nigeria made a bright start and wasted little time before taking the lead. The Super Falcons attacked with confidence from the opening whistle and found the breakthrough in the ninth minute.
Veteran forward Asisat Oshoala reacted quickly inside the penalty area to score what turned out to be the only goal of the match. The early strike settled Nigeria and forced Zambia to chase the game for the remaining minutes.
After taking the lead, the Super Falcons looked comfortable in possession and tried to stretch the Choppa Queens defence with quick passing and runs behind the back line.
The midfield worked hard to break up attacks while the defenders stayed compact whenever Zambians looked dangerous on the counterattack. They gradually grew into the contest and began enjoying more possession.
The Copper Queens pushed more players forward in search of an equaliser, with their attacking stars trying to create openings around Nigeria’s penalty area.
Nigeria’s task became much more difficult in the 39th minute when defender Oluwatosin Demehin was shown a straight red card for bringing down Barbra Banda as the Zambian captain raced towards goal.
The dismissal left the Super Falcons with 10 players for the remainder of the contest, forcing them to change their approach.
Instead of pressing high up the pitch, the Nigerian Women dropped deeper and focused on staying compact at the back while looking to hit Zambians on the counterattack.
The second half was more competitive as Zambian Women increased the tempo. They attacked from both wings and looked to test Nigeria’s defence with crosses and through balls.
The Super Falcons stayed organised at the back and defended with determination whenever their entered the final third. As the game progressed, the focus was on protecting their narrow advantage while still looking for chances to score on the counterattack.
The coaching staff introduced fresh legs from the bench, with players including Jennifer Echegini and Esther Okoronkwo helping the Super Falcons maintain their energy during the closing stages.
The substitutions added fresh movement and helped Nigeria manage the final minutes effectively until the match ended with them claiming a narrow 1-0 victory which kept their hopes of making it out from the group.