By Amaechi Agbo
Nigeria produced a masterclass to drub Zambia 5-0 in a stunning Women Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final tie in Casablanca on Friday evening – a stunning performance that sent the nine-time champions to the semi finals and left the once-dreaded Zambians heading for home.
The performance and result left Africa bewildered, as the Zambians, who had shown incredible strength, ability and ambition in their previous three games, were completely overhauled and left for dead as early as it was time for recess.
Towering defender Osinachi Ohale, who netted when the Super Falcons mauled the Zambians 6-0 in a group stage match in Namibia 11 years ago, rose above everyone else to make a clever contact with the ball with her head and send the goalkeeper the wrong way, from Esther Okoronkwo’s free-kick, with only 100 seconds played.
The Nigerian girls, and for good reasons, celebrated with gusto, and thencefrom never looked back. They hustled and harried the Zambians from the wings and in the middle of the park, and even when the Zambians had the rare sight of goal, in the 21st and 30th minutes, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and her land forces at the rear took care of things.
Jennifer Echegini worked tremendously hard in the middle, combining with Halimatu Ayinde and Okoronkwo, while captain Rasheedat Ajibade carried the team smartly as always, with Chinwendu Ihezuo and Folasade Ijamilusi, starting for the first time, always ready to put the feet of the Zambian rearguard to the fire.
Nigeria got the second goal they deserved in the 33rd minute, and it was a classic. Echegini forcefully collected the ball in the middle, found Ashleigh Plumptre, who found her captain. Ajibade lofted the ball into the box, and Okoronkwo chested and swiftly dispatched it into the far corner.
Before recess, it was 3-0. Nnadozie sent out a long ball from her territory, which was helped backwards by a Zambian defender, freeing the lurking Ihezuo, who progressed with unceasing energy and picked the far angle.
In the second half, Nigeria did not have to do much other than to further cripple the vaunted potency of the duo of Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji, which they did effectively, and even added more goals.
Defender Tosin Demehin scored with a header from a dead ball on the right, and Ijamilusi, timing her run well, connected a pass from Ajibade to earn Nigeria’s fifth goal.
The result underscored the fact that Zambia still have much to learn to sit at the top table of African women football, and that though the Super Falcons may take things easy sometimes against the opposition, their venom and bite remain as poisonous and deadly as ever.
In the semi-final, Nigeria will take on the winner of Saturday’s quarter final game between Cup holders South Africa and Senegal.
Unsurprisingly, captain Rasheedat Ajibade was named the Woman of the Match, after overseeing the annihilation of a squad that deluded themselves into believing they are the new continental order.
