Nigeria 5-0 Zambia: Super Falcons Humiliate Copper Queens To Storm WAFCON 2025 Semi-Finals
The Super Falcons of Nigeria have emphatically booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after thrashing and humiliating Zambia 5-0 in a thrilling quarter-final encounter on Thursday, July 18, 2025, at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, Morocco.
With this stunning victory, Nigeria has reaffirmed its dominance and superiority in African women’s football, taking a confident step closer to their 10th WAFCON title, fondly dubbed Mission X by the team.
First Half Blitz: Nigeria Showed No Mercy
The Super Falcons wasted no time asserting their supremacy. In just the 2nd minute of the game, Osinachi Ohale powered home a precise header from Esther Okoronkwo’s well-placed free-kick, giving Nigeria an early lead and setting the tone for the match.
At the the 33rd minute, the Falcons doubled their advantage in when Okoronkwo, turning from provider to scorer, finished off a brilliant team move by slotting the ball into the bottom corner, leaving Zambia’s goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
On the stroke of halftime, Chinwendu Ihezuo capitalized on a defensive blunder by Zambia to fire in Nigeria’s third goal, effectively killing the game before the break.
Second Half: Relentless Falcons Complete the Rout
Nigeria returned from halftime with the same hunger to cause more harvoke to the Zambian in the 68th minute, Oluwatosin Demehin extended the goal lead to 4-0 with a powerful header off another dangerous set-piece delivery by Okoronkwo.
The icing on the cake came in added time (90+1 minute) when substitute Folashade Ijamilusi calmly finished off a fine cross from Rasheedat Ajibade, sealing a dominant 5-0 victory for the reigning African champions.
Match Statistics:
| Stats | Nigeria | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 5 | 0 |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 0 |
| Possession | 43.5% | 56.5% |
| Corners | 5 | 2 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 1 |
Zambians, despite having more possession on the entire match, failed to register a single shot on target, a testament to Nigeria’s defensive solidity led by Ashleigh Plumptre and Osinachi Ohale.
Post-Match Reactions
Speaking after the match, Nigeria’s coach Justin Madugu praised his team’s composure and tactical discipline:
“We came here with a mission and the girls executed it perfectly. From the first whistle, they showed hunger, focus, and resilience. We remain focused on the semi-final, our next hurdle towards achieving Mission X.”
Zambia’s coach, on the other hand, admitted that the Copper Queens were outclassed:
“Nigeria was simply better today. We struggled to break them down, and their set-piece efficiency punished us. We’ll regroup and come back stronger.”
What This Means for Nigeria
This resounding victory not only sends Nigeria into the WAFCON 2025 semi-finals but also serves as a stark warning to other contenders. The Falcons are on track to secure a record-extending 10th African title.
They will now face the winner between South Africa and Senegal in what promises to be a highly anticipated semi-final clash.
Flashback: Avenge for 2022
This win was also a form of sweet revenge for Nigeria, having lost to Zambia in the 2022 WAFCON third-place match. The Falcons have now firmly re-established their supremacy over their Southern African rivals.
Next Fixture
- Semi-Final:
🏟️ Nigeria vs (South Africa / Senegal)
📅 Date: July 23, 2025
📍 Venue: Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca
Conclusion
With a stunning 5-0 win, the Super Falcons have sent a loud message to the rest of Africa: Nigeria is still the team to beat. As the quest for their 10th WAFCON title intensifies, all eyes will be on the Falcons in the semi-final.
Stay tuned to www.kpomkwem.com for more updates, match previews, and exclusive analysis on Nigeria’s journey at WAFCON 2025
