Nigeria Meets Zambia: WAFCON Quarterfinal Clash We Dey Wait!
Colaboradores
Two of Africa's top women's football teams, Nigeria and Zambia, dey ready to face each other for di quarter-finals of di 2024 TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Di match go happen on Friday for Casablanca, and e sure say fire go burn!
Di Larbi Zaouli Stadium go host di match wey go decide who go reach di semi-finals. Both teams wan make legacy and carry continental bragging rights. Dis rivalry don dey grow for some time now, and both teams dey come with strong form from di group stage, so dis quarterfinal go be one of di hottest matches of di tournament.
How Dem Take Reach Here?
Nigeria and Zambia bin play well for di group stage, so dem dey full of confidence as dem reach di last eight.
Nigeria top Group B with seven points. Dem start by beating Tunisia 3-0, den dem win Botswana 1-0, and den draw 0-0 with Algeria. Di Super Falcons neva concede any goal for di competition, showing how disciplined dem be under coach Justin Madugu.
Madugu talk say: “Our preparation dey go well. We know di game tomorrow against Zambia. We dey try our best to make sure say di girls dey ready.”
Zambia impress for Group A, finish second to Morocco with seven points. Di Copper Queens draw 2-2 with di Atlas Lionesses, win Senegal 3-2, and qualify with a 1-0 win over DR Congo.
Coach Hauptle dey confident say her team don improve and dey ready: “I dey happy say we get time to prepare for di quarterfinal. I think say my team dey ready for di next stage. We move go Casablanca yesterday, excited and prepared for tomorrow.”
Wetin We Dey Expect?
Nine-time champions Nigeria neva fail to reach di WAFCON semi-finals, but coach Justine Madugu dey worry say dem no dey score enough goals after dia first game.
“No room for errors,” Madugu talk, backing a team wey neva concede. “We must be 100% - psychologically, physically, tactically.”
Zambia score seven goals and concede four on dia way to matching Nigeria seven points, with strikers Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji scoring three goals each.
Banda dey hope say Zambia go follow di footsteps of dia men, wey win di Africa Cup of Nations for 2012.
“E go be great moment for Zambia,” di BBC Women’s Footballer of di Year tell Newsday on di BBC World Service. “Remembering 2012, dis year now e fit be us, di ladies, so we dey hope for dat and we dey aim for am as a team.”
But Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie no dey fear at all.