Ajibade: Super Falcons Never Underestimated Benin After WAFCON Qualifier Draw

Ajibade: Super Falcons Never Underestimated Benin After WAFCON Qualifier Draw

By Admin 

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has dismissed suggestions that Nigeria underestimated Benin Republic in Tuesday’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier, which ended 1–1 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.

Nigeria, who had won the first leg 2–0 in Cotonou, advanced to the 2026 WAFCON on a 3–1 aggregate, sealing their place in the continental tournament scheduled for March 17 to April 3, 2026, as they aim to defend their title and secure early qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Defender Ashleigh Plumptre opened the scoring in the 12th minute with her first-ever goal for Nigeria, heading in Esther Okoronkwo’s corner. The visitors, however, struck back in the second half to claim a share of the spoils.

Speaking after the match, Ajibade acknowledged that the team’s performance was below expectations but rejected the notion that complacency played a role.

 “We weren’t overconfident, to be honest,” said the PSG Féminines forward. “From the first leg, we already knew how competitive Benin could be. They came hard at us in the second half in Togo, so we expected the same here.”

Ajibade praised Benin’s determination, describing the draw as a lesson for the reigning African champions.

 “They have players who were eager to get something out of the game. A point against the Super Falcons means a lot to them, and you could see that in their celebration,” she noted.

“It wasn’t our best performance, but it’s a learning experience. We just need to maintain our confidence, raise our standards, and keep pushing to be a better team.”

Head coach Justine Madugu also addressed reporters after the game, apologizing to Nigerians for the team’s below-par display while emphasizing that the players gave their all. “It didn’t come as a surprise,” Madugu said. “We knew it would be a tough match. The Beninoise team is not easy to play against. I want to apologize to Nigerians for not meeting their expectations.”

Madugu described the performance as an “off day” but urged supporters to see it as a reminder that improvement is still needed ahead of next year’s tournament. “Sometimes, there are bad days. Even though we didn’t perform as expected, the girls gave their best,” he said. “We’ll take this as a wake-up call to work harder as we prepare for WAFCON and the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.”