Super Falcons Open WAFCON Campaign with Resounding Win Against Tunisia

*Oshoala pays tributes to Peter Rufai with wrists bands *Babajide mourns Diogo Jota with celebration

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigeria’s Super Falcons opened their quest to win the country’s 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title with a resounding 3-0 win against Tunisia in Casablanca, Morocco on Sunday evening.

It was however Rinsola Babajide’s celebrations of her debut WAFCON goal that brought tears to fans of Liverpool FC as the Falcons’ forward adopted late Diogo Jota’s signature pose to pay tribute to the Portuguese who died in a car crash along with his brother, Andre Silva, 25, last Thursday.

Babajide who is former England international at youth level before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2023, doubled Super Falcons lead in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. It was a beautiful of a goal.

She blitzed past two Tunisian defenders inside the box before unleashing a right foot to the near post that Tunisian goalkeeper, Soulaima Jobrani, has no chance of stopping from hitting back of  the net. 

Super Falcons Coach, Justin Madugu and some of the players wore black armbands in memory of late Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai who also died same Thursday after brief illness.

Before that Nigeria’s second goal, former Barcelona Femeni forward, Asisat Oshoala, who wore two white wrist bands with inscription “Peter Rufai” opened the scoring for the Super Falcons in the fourth minute.

The 30-year-old pounced on a low in-swinging free-kick delivered by Babajide from the left flank to deliver the opener. It was initially credited to Ashleigh Plumptre but VAR showed it was Oshoala’s goal.

Substitute Chinwendu Ihezuo got Nigeria’s third at the Stade Larbi Zaouli Stadium with six minutes remaining after converting a cross from Plumptre.

Although the Super Falcons player below their 2023 World Cup strength, the 

win puts Nigeria top of Group B ahead of Sunday’s late game between Algeria and Botswana.

Nigeria will face Botswana at the same Stade Larbi Zaouli on Thursday, with Tunisia seeking their first point against North African rivals Algeria the same day.

Elsewhere, defending champions Senegal produced a first-half demolition of DR Congo to register a comfortable 4-0 win and move top of Group A in Morocco.

Played in searing heat in Mohammedia, the only early afternoon kick-off of the tournament was effectively over as a contest even before the first cooling break.

Forwards Mama Diop and Ngeunar Ndiaye both scored two goals before half-time as the powerful Lionesses of Teranga frontline ripped into a fragile and disorganised rearguard of the Congolese.