Asisat Oshoala’s early strike and a heroic defensive effort carried a 10-player Super Falcons to a vital 1-0 victory over Zambia in a tense Group C showdown at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Oshoala opened the scoring in just the eighth minute, finishing clinically to give Nigeria an ideal start and the lead they would cling to for the remainder of the match.
The game’s momentum shifted before halftime when defender Blessing Demehin was shown a straight red card in the 40th minute for a foul on Zambia’s danger-woman Barbra Banda, leaving the Super Falcons to defend with ten players for more than half the contest.
Facing relentless pressure from the Copper Queens after the dismissal, Nigeria’s backline and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie stood tall. Nnadozie produced several crucial saves to keep Zambia at bay, while the defence organized itself effectively, repelling wave after wave of attacks and protecting Oshoala’s solitary goal.
The result is a morale-boosting first win for Nigeria after an opening defeat to Malawi, keeping their hopes of advancing from Group C alive and putting pressure back on the group favorites.
The Super Falcons will take heart from their defensive resolve and will look to build on this performance as they push to revive their title defence in the knockout rounds.
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