The Tremendous Falcons of Nigeria made a assured begin to their ultimate spherical of the 2026 Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers with a 2–0 win over Benin Republic’s Amazons on Friday night on the Stade de Kégué in Lomé.
First-half objectives from Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo gave the 10-time African champions a snug benefit forward of Tuesday’s return leg in Nigeria.
Falcons assert dominance early
Coming simply days after the Tremendous Eagles’ resounding victory over Benin within the males’s World Cup qualifiers, Nigeria’s ladies continued the nation’s dominance towards their West African neighbours with a composed and managed efficiency.
From the outset, the Tremendous Falcons dictated play and pinned the Beninese staff deep of their half.
Their early stress paid off halfway via the primary half when Deborah Abiodun break up the defence with a wonderfully weighted via ball for Ihezuo, who completed neatly to open the scoring.
As the primary half drew to a detailed, Nigeria doubled their lead. Esther Okoronkwo broke away from her marker and calmly completed in a one-on-one state of affairs to make it 2–0 earlier than the break.
Midfield mastery and managed end
The Nigerian midfield trio of Abiodun, Tosin Demehin and Rasheedat Ajibade saved management of the sport with disciplined positioning and swift passing transitions. Abiodun, specifically, was instrumental in each objectives, combining defensive tenacity with inventive imaginative and prescient.
READ ALSO: EPL Spherical-up: Tremendous Eagles stars endure defeats as Arsenal, Man Metropolis win
With the sport firmly beneath management, head coach Justine Madugu launched Shukurat Oladipo within the 86th minute for Abiodun, tightening up the defence because the staff noticed out the ultimate moments with out hassle.
The consequence places Nigeria firmly answerable for the tie forward of the second leg in Abeokuta subsequent Tuesday.
With a two-goal cushion and residential benefit to return, the Tremendous Falcons are well-placed to seal qualification for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, the place they are going to defend the continental title they reclaimed earlier within the yr.
