Super Falcons’ coach Justin Madugu has hailed the team’s commanding win over Zambia in a quarter-final match at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). 

“We are quite happy that we have crossed this hurdle. We had a good performance. The girls put up a good performance and we won,” Madugu said after the emphatic win at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco, on Friday.

“And naturally, when you win games in the manner we won today, you are bound to be happy.”

The win saw Nigeria reach the semi-final of the competition in their quest to win a 10th WAFCON crown.

READ ALSO: [WAFCON 2024] Nigeria Trounce Zambia 5-0, Soar Into Semi-Final

Not A ‘Revenge mission’

Zambia beat Nigeria in a third-place game in the last edition of the tournament, but the Super Falcons coach said Friday’s victory was not a revenge.

“For us, we didn’t look at it from that perspective of a revenge mission.
But rather, it was a game that we needed to win so that we could advance to the next stage of the competition,” the gaffer said.

“Yes, it will seem like a revenge because we lost out to them in the last edition at the 3rd place match, and today we have gotten one over them, which is quite pleasing. Probably not the score line, but we expected a win. That was what we had planned for.

“The scoreline might be flattering, but then, like we said, we came for a win, and we knew we had the players who were capable of doing that, and the players were quite ready.”

Nigeria have now gone four matches without conceding a goal, while also making it a record 13th semi-final appearance in the tournament.

The Super Falcons are the record holders of the WAFCON, having won the crown nine times.