Nigeria’s Super Falcons failed to finish among the top three at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as they lost 0-1 to the Copper Queens of Zambia on Friday.
The Falcons lost in the third-place playoff game after Evarine Katungo’s 28th-minute goal made the difference at the Stade Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca.
On Wednesday, the Falcons failed to show up for training ahead of the Friday match. They were protesting nonpayment of their allowances and match bonuses.
The Falcons started the game on a good note but failed to convert their goalscoring chances.
Striker Ifeoma Onumonu had a bad day at work as she failed to live up to the billing and was substituted by Gift Monday in the second half.
Monday’s many attempts at goal were however not enough to hit the target as Nigeria fell short of a podium finish in Morocco.
This is the second time since 1998 that Nigeria will finish their WAFCON campaign in fourth place, with the first being in 2012.
Both teams have however qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The loss means that for the first time, the Super Falcons would return home without any medal since the inception. It was also the first time that Zambia would defeat Nigeria.
