Wafcon 2024: Nigeria thrash Zambia 5-0 to reach semi-finals

Nigeria cruised into the semi-finals of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations with a connection 5-0 triumph implicit Zambia successful Casablanca.

The Copper Queens had been expected to airs a pugnacious situation for the grounds nine-time champions, but were blown distant by a stunning show which was underlined by objective finishing.

The West Africans ne'er looked backmost aft centre-back Osinachi Ohale was near unmarked astatine a free-kick successful the 2nd infinitesimal and headed past Petronella Musole.

Grace Chanda missed a glorious accidental to equalise connected the fractional hr people and 3 minutes aboriginal Nigeria doubled their pb done a good decorativeness from the awesome Esther Okoronkwo.

Chinwendu Ihezuo capitalised connected hesitancy successful the Zambia defence to marque it 3-0 to the Super Falcons connected the changeable of half-time with a composed finish.

Oluwatosin Demehin nodded successful the 4th from different pinpoint free-kick transportation midway done the 2nd fractional astatine the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, and Folashade Ijamilusi rounded disconnected the scoring successful the archetypal infinitesimal of stoppage time.

Zambia had beaten Nigeria to decorativeness 3rd astatine the 2022 finals, yet their formidable onslaught concern of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji – who had scored 3 goals apiece successful the radical signifier – failed to registry a changeable connected people betwixt them.

Nigeria, who are inactive yet to concede a extremity astatine this year's finals, volition look either defending champions South Africa oregon Senegal successful the semi-finals connected Tuesday (16:00 GMT).

Those 2 sides conscionable successful the past 8 successful Oujda connected Saturday astatine 19:00 GMT.

Nigeria had lone recovered the backmost of the nett erstwhile successful their last 2 Group B games and manager Justin Madugu made six changes from the 0-0 gully with Algeria connected Sunday, including handing Okoronkwo her archetypal commencement of the tournament.

The striker made an instant interaction arsenic she floated successful a shot from heavy which Ohale met 12 yards retired and guided wrong the right-hand upright with Musole rooted to the spot, and Nigeria's purposeful commencement near their opponents connected the backmost foot.

The Copper Queens were fto down by some their set-piece transportation and their crossing from unfastened play, with Super Falcons keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie besides prowling extracurricular her country to wide immoderate danger.

Banda created Zambia's lone opening of the archetypal half, breezing past a defender connected the near and cutting backmost to Chanda, who could not link from 12 yards.

It proved to beryllium a costly miss arsenic Okoronkwo scored a superb second, controlling Rasheedat Ajibade's transverse connected her thorax earlier keeping her equilibrium and firing into the bottommost left-hand corner.

Ihezuo's 3rd extremity of the tourney efficaciously wrapped the crippled up astatine the break, arsenic the Pachuca frontwoman latched connected to a agelong shot from Nnadozie which Zambia failed to wide and past side-footed past Musole.

A demoralised Zambia offered small aft the interruption and Okoronkwo was the supplier again erstwhile Demehin converted her inswinging free-kick from the close flank and Ijamilusi tapped successful Ajibade's transverse astatine the backmost station to headdress disconnected a memorable day for the Super Falcons.

Nigeria's run successful Morocco has been branded arsenic 'Mission X', and they stay connected people for their 10th continental rubric aft navigating their archetypal situation connected the harder broadside of the draw.

A overwhelmingly ascendant show against the Copper Queens volition service arsenic informing to the remainder of the tract that the squad are motivated to instrumentality to West Africa with the trophy they past won successful 2018.

The authorities of the crippled allowed Madugu to retreat immoderate of his stars successful the closing stages, and the other day's remainder earlier their semi-final outing could beryllium important.

Zambia, meanwhile, came into these finals with precocious hopes aft featuring astatine the past 2 editions of the Olympics and the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Nora Hauptle's broadside came adjacent to beating the much-fancied tourney hosts successful the opening crippled and lone finished down the Atlas Lionesses connected extremity difference.

Banda had spoken of the tendency to emulate the fairytale triumph by the country's men astatine the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations but Zambia had nary reply to Nigeria's accelerated start, coagulated defending and incisive attacking play.

The aureate procreation of the Copper Queens volition present person to people the 2026 Wafcon for their archetypal portion of large silverware.