Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has dismissed suggestions that Nigeria underestimated the Republic of Benin in Tuesday’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier, which ended 1–1 at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.
Defender Ashleigh Plumptre had opened the scoring in the 12th minute with her first-ever goal for Nigeria before Benin grabbed a second-half equalizer. Despite the draw, the Falcons advanced 3–1 on aggregate to book their place at next year’s WAFCON, scheduled for March 17 to April 3 in Morocco, as they aim to defend their title and secure an early 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup spot.
Ajibade: “We Weren’t Overconfident”
Speaking after the match, Ajibade stressed that the Super Falcons approached the game with full respect for their West African rivals, noting that the first leg in Togo had already shown Benin’s competitiveness.
“We weren’t overconfident, to be honest,” the PSG Féminines forward said.
“We expected this because when we played them in the first leg, we saw how they came at us in the second half. So, we knew they would come hard again in this return leg.”
Ajibade praised Benin’s intensity and determination, acknowledging that facing a motivated opponent added to the challenge.
“We know they have players who are eager to make a statement. Getting a point against the Super Falcons is huge for them, and you could see how much it meant by the way they celebrated.”
While admitting that Nigeria’s performance was below their usual standards, the captain viewed the draw as a chance for reflection and improvement.
“Today wasn’t our best performance, but there’s always room to learn and get better. We just have to keep our confidence high, maintain our standards, and push ourselves to be a stronger team.”
Coach Madugu: “A Wake-Up Call”
Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu also shared his thoughts after the match, apologizing to Nigerians for what he described as a below-par display.
“It didn’t come as a surprise because we knew it was going to be tough,” Madugu explained. “The Beninese team has improved, and we anticipated a difficult game.”
The coach, however, took responsibility for the team’s shortcomings.
“I want to apologize to Nigerians for not meeting expectations. Whenever the Super Falcons play, there are always high hopes in terms of both results and performance.”
Madugu described the encounter as “an off day” but maintained that the players gave their all.
“Sometimes there can be bad days. Even though the performance wasn’t what we expected, the girls worked hard and showed effort.”
He added that the result should serve as motivation for the team as preparations continue for the 2026 WAFCON and 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
“We’re not too disappointed. We’ll take it as a wake-up call, a reminder that there’s still more work to be done.”
