The Super Falcons of Nigeria have advanced to the next stage of the 2028 Olympic women’s football qualifying campaign after securing a commanding 5-0 victory over Comoros in Ikenne on Tuesday
The win gave Nigeria a 7-0 aggregate triumph in the second round, having claimed a 2-0 victory in the first leg on Friday. They will now face Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses as they continue their bid to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen’s team controlled much of the contest, with Toni Payne scoring twice and Uchenna Kanu contributing two goals as Nigeria overwhelmed their opponents. Christy Ucheibe also converted a penalty to complete the scoring.
Nigeria began on the front foot and came close to taking the lead in the ninth minute when Gift Monday broke through the Comoros defence. However, she could not get past the goalkeeper to finish the opportunity.
The Super Falcons suffered an early setback when captain Rasheedat Ajibade was forced off in the 28th minute following a heavy collision. Folashade Ijamilusi replaced her as Nigeria continued to press for the opening goal.
The breakthrough finally came four minutes before the interval. Kanu, who had also scored in Friday’s first-leg victory, capitalised on a mistake by the Comoros goalkeeper to win possession before setting up Payne, who finished from close range.
Eguavoen made another change at half-time, bringing on Blessing Okpe for Monday. Nigeria increased their attacking intensity after the restart, and the decision was followed by a series of goals.
Kanu extended the home side’s lead in the 58th minute, connecting with an accurate cross from Ijamilusi to head the ball into the net. The forward thought she had scored again three minutes later when she converted another delivery from the same provider, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Nigeria were not made to wait long for their third goal. In the 63rd minute, Okpe moved past two Comoros defenders before pulling the ball back for Payne, who completed her brace with a second finish.
Ijamilusi continued to play a key role in Nigeria’s attacking moves and registered another assist three minutes later. Her cross found Kanu, who headed home to claim her second goal of the match and her third across the two legs of the tie.
The Super Falcons’ dominance was further reflected in the 71st minute when Okpe was brought down inside the Comoros penalty area. Ucheibe stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and converted it, making the score 5-0.
Nigeria made further changes as the match approached its conclusion. Jennifer Echegini and Kanu were withdrawn in the 81st minute, with Suliat Abideen and Shakirat Moshood entering the game. Fatimah Soliat then replaced Payne in the 87th minute.
The comprehensive victory confirms Nigeria’s progress from the second qualifying round with a seven-goal aggregate advantage and no goals conceded across the two matches.
Attention will now turn to Morocco, whose Atlas Lionesses await in the next stage. The meeting represents Nigeria’s next challenge as the Super Falcons seek to move closer to securing a place in the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Olympic Games.
