Heartbreak for Copper queens as Nigeria crushes Zambia’s WAFCON semifinals hopes

Zambia Women’s National Team’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 were dashed after a heavy 5-0 defeat to Nigeria.

The quarterfinal clash, played at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, Morocco, saw Nigeria open the scoring just two minutes into the game through Osinachi Ohale’s header.

The match, officiated by Moroccan referee Bouchra Karboubi and assistants Ihsane Ennauajeli (Morocco) and Houda Afine (Tunisia), continued to favour the Super Falcons as Esther Okoronkwo doubled the lead in the 34th minute.

A defensive mix-up allowed Nigeria to capitalize again, with Veronica Chinwendu netting the third goal in the 45th minute, giving Nigeria a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime.

In the second half, Demehin Oluwatosin extended the tally to 4-0 in the 63rd minute, heading in a goal from Okoronkwo’s well-placed free kick.

Zambia’s defense was again caught off guard in the 90th minute, as Folashade Ijamilusi sealed the win with a fifth goal, sending Nigeria through to the semifinals in dominant fashion.

This marked Zambia’s second consecutive appearance in the WAFCON knockout stages. Their only previous win at this stage came in 2022, when they edged Senegal on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

The Copper Queens entered the quarterfinal with an impressive seven-match unbeaten streak in the WAFCON group stages—five wins and two draws.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has yet to concede a goal in the tournament, having kept three clean sheets in the group stage for the first time since 1998.

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