Super Falcons train in Rabat ahead of WAFCON final against Morocco

Nigeria’s Super Falcons had their first feel of a new training pitch in Rabat Thursday as they stepped up preparations for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final against Atlas Lionesses in Morocco.

The Nigerian team arrived in the Moroccan capital on Wednesday, just a day after securing a 2-1 semifinal victory over South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, booking their place in the tournament’s final where they will face the host nation, Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses.

The opening 15 minutes of Thursday’s training session, led by head coach Justin Madugu, were open to the media.

The nine-time African champions are scheduled to hold a closed-door training session at the same venue today, ahead of tomorrow’s highly anticipated final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

Meanwhile, Ghana, beaten by Morocco in the second semifinal, will face South Africa in the third-place match taking place today in Casablanca.

Nigeria is expected to roar from the blast of the whistle in Saturday’s 13th Women AFCON Championship Match inside the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

The presence of hosts Morocco guarantees a full house at the magnificent facility in Morocco’s administrative capital, but the Super Falcons will be in no mood to be brow-beat or shouted out of sync as they fight to notch up their superlative numbers, including picking up a record-extending 10th continental title.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade is firmly on track for the Player of the Tournament award, and forward Chinwendu Ihezuo is also in contention for the Top Scorer’s award with her three goals, one behind Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak.

Morocco’s Spanish coach Jorge Vidal led his country to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Down Under two years ago, and there is hardly a bigger line that can be included in a coach’s resume than a World Cup triumph. He has led the Atlas Lionesses with a firm hand and injected pace and purpose into their game, and they appear even stronger than the team that defeated nine-woman Super Falcons after a penalty shootout in a semifinal match in Casablanca three years ago.

Yet, the attention of pundits across the globe has been drawn to the person of Coach Justine Madugu, previously seen only as assistant at major competitions, who is now dictating the pace of things at Africa’s flagship women competition.

Madugu has brought to enduring reality the tactical philosophy of ‘take it one game at a time’, playing to his team’s strength in each game, and despite loads of cynicism about his capabilities before the commencement of the tournament, four of his five opponents (bar the Lady Fennecs of Algeria who played the Super Falcons when the nine-time champions had already secured passage to the knockout stages) have left for the dressing room with bleary eyes.

The Confederation of African Football, on Thursday, appointed Namibian official Antsino Twanyanyukwa as referee for Saturday night’s potentially-explosive encounter.