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Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has declared that Nigeria’s players were prepared to give everything on the pitch to keep their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign alive after a difficult start to the tournament.
The skipper made the remarks after the Super Falcons battled to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia in their second Group B match in Morocco.
Nigeria entered the encounter under immense pressure after suffering a surprise 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi in their opening fixture.
The challenge became even greater when defender Oluwatosin Demehin was sent off shortly before half-time for bringing down Zambia captain Barbra Banda.
Despite playing with 10 players for more than half of the match, the nine-time African champions protected Asisat Oshoala’s early strike to secure a crucial victory.
Reflecting on the performance, Ajibade said the players knew defeat was not an option after their disappointing opening result.
“Well, not from the anger of the Malawi game. We knew that we just had to win. It’s either we die on that pitch, you know. So we’re playing with every energy, the strength, the spirit within us to win this game. So there’s no time to relax,” she said.
Ajibade also revealed that her faith gave her confidence after Nigeria were reduced to 10 players against one of Africa’s most dangerous attacking teams.
“Honestly, I wasn’t worried. I was going onto the pitch with the word of God because I knew when God said He’s going to help us, so I held on to God’s word,” she said.
She added, “When that red card came in, you know sometimes God does not do things in a very easy way. He does it in a way that everyone would know that He’s the one in charge and He takes all the glory in His hand.”
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie produced another commanding display as the Nigerian defence withstood relentless pressure from Zambia’s attacking duo of Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji.
Ajibade insisted there was never panic within the squad, saying the players remained convinced they would emerge victorious despite the numerical disadvantage.
The win revived Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage, with the Super Falcons now requiring at least a draw against Egypt in their final group game to secure qualification and continue their pursuit of a record-extending 11th WAFCON title.
