Nigeria vs Morocco: Tinubu Mentions 1 "Courageous" Moment in WAFCON Final
- Nigeria staged a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 at the Stade Olympique in Rabat on Saturday night, July 26
- The Super Falcons lifted their 10th TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) crown
- President Bola Tinubu extended heartfelt congratulations to the Falcons during a video call and reserved special praise for Esther Okoronkwo
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering football and sports in Nigeria.
Casablanca, Morocco - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described Esther Okoronkwo's penalty goal in the 64th minute of the Nigeria vs Morocco Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 final as a "courageous exercise".
Legit.ng had reported how the Nigerian women's national football team made a remarkable comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the WAFCON final on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
Source: Facebook
Nigeria vs Morocco: Super Falcons rule Africa
Morocco led Nigeria 2-0 at half-time, but the Super Falcons turned the game around in the second half.
Morocco, backed by a vibrant capacity crowd at the 21,000-seat Stade Olympique in the capital, took the lead in 12 minutes as Nigeria conceded for the first time in open play at the tournament.
Nigeria fluffed several chances to clear the ball, and it fell just outside the area to Ghizlane Chebbak, whose perfectly placed, rising shot gave goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie no chance.
The lead doubled 12 minutes later as the ball flew across the Nigerian goalmouth to Sanaa Mssoudy, who ended a five-match goal drought by steering a low shot into the far corner of the net.
But the Moroccan lead halved after 64 minutes as Okoronkwo sent Khadija Er-Rmichi the wrong way from a penalty after a video assistant referee (VAR) review showed a Folashade Ijamilusi cross striking Nouhaila Benzina’s hand.
The goal lifted the spirits of increasingly assertive Nigeria, and they equalised seven minutes later, when Okoronkwo turned creator with a pull-back that Ijamilusi easily shot and scored, tying the score.
Super Falcons would have their third in the 88th minute after a deep free kick found the outstretched toe of substitute Jennifer Echegini, who poked the ball home from close range.
The victory meant Nigeria sealed a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in 13 editions.
Source: Twitter
Plaudits for Esther Okoronkwo
Born in Abia state and raised in Richmond, Texas, Okoronkwo represented Northeast Texas Eagles and Lamar Lady Cardinals at the college level before moving to France to play for Saint-Étienne.
She helped ASSE to promotion before moving to Granadilla Tenerife in Spain, China's Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue, and then returned to North America to sign for AFC Toronto of Canada's Northern Super League in February.
The 28-year-old has established herself as a key player in the current Super Falcons' squad, with many Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter) praising her after Saturday's final. She was named the Woman of the Match in the Nigeria vs Morocco game.
Nigerian supporters' praises were echoed by President Tinubu in his video call with the triumphant team on Saturday night, July 26.
The Nigerian leader said:
"I watched the penalty kick; that is a very courageous exercise."
Okoronkwo replied by saying, "thank you, sir."
The video can be watched below in full:
Football analyst lauds Super Falcons coach
Meanwhile, sportscaster and football analyst Ruth Odunayo reserved special praise for Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu.
According to Odunayo, Madugu "showed us what the indigenous coaches can do if given the right support".
She told Legit.ng:
"It was a great tournament (Yes, it is great when you win a record 10th title). Definitely, there is room for improvement in terms of team coordination and chemistry. However, a lot of credit must go to our very own, Justine Madugu, who showed us what the indigenous coaches can do if given the right support and a working environment."
Odunayo added:
"And of course, the players. They did the unthinkable, especially in the finals against the host nation that had the full support of the fans, coming from two goals down in a final with the Moroccan fans pointing lasers in the faces of the players is quite commendable."
Rumours of Oshoala’s retirement swirl
Earlier, Legit.ng noted claims alleging that Super Falcons' Asisat Oshoala announced her retirement from the national team.
The experienced former Barcelona star was said to have decided to hang up her boots amid Nigeria's quest for WAFCON glory.
Source: Legit.ng
