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The Super Falcons put on a clinical display in the second leg on Tuesday, defeating Comoros 5-0 in Ikenne to secure a 7-0 aggregate victory in the second round of the 2028 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament qualifiers.
After a 2-0 victory in the first leg, interim coach Augustine Eguavoen’s team controlled the match from the start. Gift Monday almost opened the scoring in the ninth minute after bursting into the goal, but her attempt to evade the Comoros goalkeeper failed. Nigeria suffered a setback in the 28th minute when captain Rasheedat Ajibade was forced off following a heavy collision. Folashade Ijamilusi was introduced as his replacement.
The breakthrough came in the 41st minute. Uchenna Kanu, who scored the second in Friday’s 2-0 victory, took advantage of a defensive error by the Comoros goalkeeper, intercepted the ball and passed it to Toni Payne, who scored from close range.
Eguavoen made a tactical change at half-time, replacing Gift Monday with Blessing Okpe. The substitution paid immediate dividends as Nigeria stepped up their attacks in the second half. In the 58th minute, Ijamilusi sent an accurate cross into the penalty area for Kanu to double the score of the night with a firm header. Kanu thought he had added another three minutes later but his effort from an Ijamilusi cross was disallowed for offside.
The hosts added the third in the 63rd minute. Okpe beat two Comoros defenders in a race down the wing before cutting the ball to Payne, who scored his second goal of the night. Three minutes later, Ijamilusi scored another assist, launching a pass for Kanu to head in his second of the game and third of the game in the 66th minute.
Nigeria were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute when Okpe was brought down inside the area. Christy Ucheibe stepped up to convert the penalty, putting the Super Falcons five goals ahead. The technical team took advantage of all remaining options at the end of the second half. Jennifer Echegini and Kanu made way for Suliat Abideen and Shakirat Moshood in the 81st minute, while Fatimah Soliat replaced Payne in the 87th minute.
With a 7-0 aggregate victory in both matches, the Super Falcons advance to the next round of the qualification campaign, where they will face the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco.
