Super Falcons’ captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, has confessed that Nigeria’s players were nervous in their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash with South Africa on Tuesday, but added that they encouraged one another to stay focused till the end.
Sports247 reports that the ability of the Nigerian players to stay focused and keep pushing paid off, as Michelle Alozie eventually got the winning goal deep into added time to keep the Falcons on course for a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
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Ajibade also admitted that Tuesday’s game at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca was difficult, but quickly added that everyone in the Falcons’ camp saw the game just the way they expected it to be.
The former Robo Queens of Lagos and Atletico Madrid Feminino of Spain dazzler added during the post-match media conference, “Every game in this tournament has been difficult. That’s why we give a different approach to each game.
“So, before playing against South Africa, we already knew what to expect. We understand their competitive nature. They are a very good, technical and intelligent side.”
Ajibade, who scored Nigeria’s opening goal of Tuesday’s match with a penalty in the last minute of the first half, before Banyana Banyana levelled with a spot kick of their own in the second half, further revealed the mentality that eventually gave the Falcons a crucial victory.
She disclosed, “We’ve played them in different competitions several times, and we were ready for whatever tricks that came our way. We are also a very visible, technical and intelligent side. So, we are always ready for games like this.
“We love to play the best of teams, and that’s where you see the best of Super Falcons. We stuck to the gameplan that our coach gave us. We worked hard, and we got the result we wanted.”
She concluded by admitting that desperation began setting into the Falcons’ squad when they were nearing the final whistle and the scoreline was still 1-1, but added that they all continued encouraging one another to keep pushing till the end.
“At a point, we were nervous, which is not unusual sometimes, but we were able to call ourselves to order. What we did was come together, encourage one another and stick together.
“We made sure we pushed to the very end. It was a difficult and interesting game, but what matters is the final score, and that is the result which we got from this game,” Ajibade summed up.
