Super Falcons' Rasheedat Ajibade (left) contests the ball with a Cameroonian player during their match in Casablanca in the ongoing 2022 Women African Cup of Nations, Thursday
WAFCON 2022: Nigeria beat Cameroon 1-0, as Ajibade’s strike secures FIFA Women’s World Cup ticket for Super Falcons
Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade’s header in the 56th minute was all that separated the Super Falcons from the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in a hard-fought, physical encounter played at the Stade Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday evening, in the ongoing 2022 Women African Cup of Nations.
The gritty encounter was settled when striker Ifeoma Onumonu’s cross from the right flank was headed into the Cameroonian net by Ajibade, who has now scored two goals in the four matches played by the Super Falcons so far in this competition.
The Super Falcons’ qualification to the semi-finals of the 2022 WAFCON came with an automatic ticket to the Women’s World Cup, next year, as the tournament also serves as the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup qualifier.
In the other quarter final match also played, Thursday, South Africa pipped Tunisia by 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the WAFCON 2022 and also secure a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Earlier on Wednesday, in the first two quarter-final matches, the Shepolopolo of Zambia and the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco booked their tickets to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after their quarterfinal wins.
Shepolopolo of Zambia defeated the Teranga Lioness of Senegal in the first quarterfinal played on Wednesday, they won 4-2 on penalty after the game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
The other quarterfinal saw hosts Morocco beat Botswana 2-1 to become the first-ever North African nation to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Zambia will now play the winner of the match between South Africa and Tunisia while Morocco will play Nigeria in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, despite Senegal and Botswana losing in the quarterfinals of the ongoing 2022 Women Africa Cup of Nations, both teams are heading to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup but will need to win in the Repechage phase to enter inter-confederation playoffs.
Senegal and Botswana will be playing in the Repechage phase on Sunday 17th July in Morocco. In the Repechage phase, the four losers of the quarterfinals will face off, two winners will emerge and will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs, a world cup qualifier involving teams from other confederation.
Two other teams that lose in today’s quarterfinals will also join Senegal and Botswana in the Repechage phase from this link 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualification (Inter-Confederation Play-Offs).
The other Thursday’s quarter final match to be played later by 9pm Nigeria time, will see South Africa face Tunisia.
South Africa topped Nigeria’s Group C with the maximum nine points, while Tunisia as third best-placed team.
