Nigeria beats Zambia 1-0 to stay alive in WAFCON group

Nigeria's women's national football team, the Super Falcons, revived their 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations title defense with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia on Saturday, August 1, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco. The win, secured despite playing with ten players for most of the match, came as a critical response to a shocking opening defeat and kept Nigeria's hopes of advancing from Group C alive.

The decisive moment arrived early, as veteran striker Asisat Oshoala scored in the eighth minute. The six-time African Player of the Year latched onto a through ball from captain Rasheedat Ajibade and finished calmly past the Zambian goalkeeper. The goal justified head coach Justin Madugu's decision to make five changes to his starting lineup following widespread criticism of the team's 3-2 loss to Malawi days earlier. The tactical reshuffle, which saw the return of experienced players like Oshoala and Christy Ucheibe, immediately provided Nigeria with a more balanced and organized structure.

That resilience was tested severely before halftime when defender Oluwatosin Demehin was sent off. The Video Assistant Referee intervened twice in incidents involving Demehin and Zambia's star...