The stakes are high in Thursday’s quarter-final matchup between Nigeria and Cameroon. While the Super Falcons are chasing a ninth consecutive World Cup qualification, the Indomitable Lionesses are chasing a pound of flesh, having been denied the WAFCON title on four occasions by the Falcons.
After both teams finished as runners-up in their respective groups, the two continental football powerhouses will be involved in a supremacy battle to determine not just who faces hosts Morocco in the semi-final but who also gets Africa’s third automatic ticket to the World Cup
While the Super Falcons have clearly triumphed in past meetings with their neighbours Cameroon, many believe caging the Indomitable Lionesses may be a herculean task this time.
This is because the Nigerian women no longer look and play like their fiery past when they easily blew every opposition away on their way to nine titles.
Cameroon’s motivation of making a third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup will appeal enough to see them throwing everything they’ve got at the Super Falcons.
Cameroon started somewhat slowly in Morocco, drawing with Zambia, but they picked up and their impressive efforts afterward earned them the quarter-final fixture against perennial champions Nigeria.
Interestingly, the Super Falcons also started on a shaky note; losing 2-1 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in their opening match of Group C.
But Coach Randy Waldrum-led side has since buckled up; winning their next two games, conceding no goal.
“We are ready to face Cameroon,” Waldrum declared after the Super Falcons arrived in Casablanca on Monday.
The Falcons will draw inspiration from their impressive record against the Indomitable Lionesses.
Cameroon suffered a 6-0 spanking from the Falcons in the semi-finals of the 1998 Women Africa Cup of Nations (which Nigeria hosted and which was the first edition) but things have improved a bit for the Lionesses since then.
In the semi-finals of the 2010 edition in South Africa, the Falcons thumped them 5-1. Both countries contested the Final matches of the 2014 and 2016 Women AFCON.
In 2014, in Windhoek, Namibia, the Falcons registered a 2-0 victory to lift the trophy for the seventh time. In 2016, in Yaounde, the Lionesses, despite playing in front of their cheering fans, were heartbroken when Desire Oparanozie scored a late goal to hand the trophy to Nigeria for the eighth time.
Four years ago, in Accra, both teams also met in the semi-final stage. It was a tough duel that ended 0-0 after regulation and extra time, but the Falcons again prevailed 4-2 after a penalty shoot-out on the way to their ninth title.
Though the Super Falcons captain, Onome Ebi, admits the Cameroon clash will be a tough one, the 39-year-old was quick to assure of the team’s readiness to do their best for a positive result.
“Of course, we know what to expect. The Cameroonians also want to go to the World Cup. But we have never missed the World Cup and we won’t start now. Our eyes are fully focused on Australia & New Zealand, and then we can start talking about the trophy.” Ebi declared.
Nigeria’s 4-0 win against Burundi is the biggest victory so far in Morocco and the Super Falcons boast of the most lethal attack after the group stage with their seven-goal haul.
While we expect Coach Waldrum to keep faith with the attacking pair of Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu, who have scored two goals each, the American may have other tricks up his sleeve to unsettle the Cameroonians.