Rasheedat Ajibade eyes Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title

Nigeria women’s national team captain Rasheedat Ajibade is confident that her side will extend their dominant grip on African women’s football by securing a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title.

The Super Falcons are set to face host nation Morocco at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Saturday in the much-anticipated final.

Ajibade, a strong contender for the Player of the Tournament award with three ‘Woman of the Match’ accolades, shared her aspirations ahead of the Super Falcons’ tenth WAFCON final appearance.

The Super Falcons captain emphasised her team’s commitment to putting in their best effort: “For us, effort is everything. First of all, we’re truly grateful to have made it this far. Reaching the final is a blessing, but as always, we’re taking it one game at a time.”

Ajibade also drew inspiration from Nigeria’s impressive WAFCON legacy. The Super Falcons have an unbeaten record in WAFCON finals, winning all nine they’ve contested since the inaugural tournament on home soil in 1998.

“We know pedigree and past achievements mean little in a match of this nature,” Ajibade acknowledged. “But records also serve to encourage and inspire people and groups to go all out when it matters most.”

The upcoming final offers a chance for redemption for Ajibade. In the 2022 WAFCON, she was controversially sent off in a dramatic semi-final against host nation Morocco at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. That pivotal moment, compounded by a second red card for teammate Halimatu Ayinde, forced Nigeria to finish the match with nine players and ultimately cost them a spot in the final. The Super Falcons then went on to lose the third-place match to Zambia.

Now leading the team as captain, Ajibade has been a driving force behind the most decorated African women’s champions’ dominant run. She has claimed Woman of the Match honours in crucial victories against Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa, following Esther Okoronkwo’s award-winning performance in the opening 3-0 victory over Tunisia.