Izuchukwu Okosi
Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Sunday night booked their passage to the quarterfinals of the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco courtesy of a 4-0 win over Burundi reports Prime Business Africa.
Uchenna Kanu (brace), Rasheedat Ajibade and Peace Efih were the scorers for the nine-time African champions.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe overwhelming victory means that the Falcons have set up a tantalising fixture against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
The Falcons scored thrice within four minutes in the first half and once just 22 seconds into the second half to make it a comfortable outing.
Ajibade tucked away the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after she was brought down by Burundi goalkeeper Janine Irakoze.
Peace Efih scrambled the ball home from close range in the 28th minute before Kanu’s first of the night barely after the Burundians kicked off.
Kanu got her brace barely 22 seconds in the second half as she guided the ball home from a Rasheedat Ajibade’s pinpoint cross.
The Mexico based striker even had a Gola disallowed for offside by the VAR.
The Falcons lost some glit-edge chances to score even more but were resisted by the resolute Burundians whose appearance at the tournament was a huge learning curve.
South Africa in the other Group C game same night defeated Botswana 1-0 to conclude the group stages with a perfect three wins out of three.
Botswana advanced as one of the two best third placed finishers on the group stages.
The winners in the quarterfinals matches automatically qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia while the team with the best losers will play in a playoff tournament in February 2023 to negotiate qualification to the World Cup.
Quarterfinals Fixtures
Morocco vs Botswana
Zambia vs Senegal
Nigeria vs Cameroon
South Africa vs Tunisia
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
