Copper Queens of Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle has openly admitted her team was outclassed by the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Naija News reports that the Super Falcons humbled the Zambian women’s team 5-0 in the quarter-final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Friday night, July 18.
Speaking after the loss at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, the Swiss tactician admitted that there was a wide gap in quality between the two teams.
“Very clear loss for us. Congratulations to Nigeria for the well-deserved victory. I think today we need to accept that Nigeria was better than us,” Häuptle stated.
The Zambian side, who had come into the tie with confidence after a strong group-stage showing and plenty of pre-match hype, failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match.
On the other hand, the Super Falcons were ruthless, scoring three goals in the first half alone through Osinachi Ohale, Esther Okoronkwo, and Chiwendu Ihezuo, and adding two more after the break via Tosin Demehin and Folashade Ijamilusi.
While Zambia’s coach conceded defeat, Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu used the moment to reflect on his team’s growth and the work that had gone into the victory.
“We said it before: it’s a work in progress,” Madugu noted. “We kept identifying our weaknesses, service delivery, final passes, and finishing, and we worked on them. Today, we saw the results.”
Recall that the Super Falcons scored just four goals in the group stage and looked far from dominant before the quarter-final clash. But Friday night’s performance appeared to be a culmination of well-planned improvement.
In the semi-final stage, the Super Falcons will face the winner of the match between South Africa and Senegal, which is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. tonight, July 19.
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