They were made to work for it, but the Super Falcons came away from their second match of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a ticket to the tournament’s last eight.
A late finish by forward Chinwendu Ihezuo was enough to secure all three points on a night when Nigeria struggled for fluency and clear chances against a stubborn Botswana rearguard. With only two minutes left on the clock, the Pachuca player struck to break the hearts of the southern African nation.
Coach Justin Madugu named an unchanged starting lineup, with superstar Asisat Oshoala reprising her role leading the line from the opening match against Tunisia.
Super Falcons rely on late show to pip minnows
The Super Falcons dominated possession for much of the proceedings, but did little to consistently trouble Botswana. The best chance of the opening half fell to Toni Payne, but she blazed over from close range. That was one of only six attempts in the first period for Nigeria, with none on target.
88’ | Botswana 🇧🇼0-1 Nigeria 🇳🇬
We dug deep and got our reward, GOAL! 🔥
Ihezuo strikes again, scoring in back-to-back games! 🦅💥#MissionX #SoarSuperFalcons #WAFCON2024 #BOTNGA pic.twitter.com/BBYdJPVRZ4
— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) July 10, 2025
A raft of changes at the start of the second half signalled the intent of the coaching crew, and while they helped the nine-time African champions gain a foothold and mount pressure throughout the latter period, it was not until the 88th minute that they would find a reward.
When it arrived, it was by the grace of two substitutes combining. Esther Okonkwo was the provider, cutting in on her favoured left foot before curling a pass to the far post, where Ihezuo slid in to convert and claim the points for the Super Falcons.
