Champions Nigeria threw in their aces in Saturday’s Women Africa Cup of Nations Final against South Africa at the Accra Sports Stadium to win 4-3 on penalty after a pulsating 120 minutes.
In 20 years of its existence, Nigeria have dominated the Women AFCON to an embarrassing degree, with only Equatorial Guinea breaking their clean sweep on only two occasions, with Mercy Akide, Perpetua Nkwocha (on four occasions), Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala emerging top scorers at different championships.
Nigeria and South Africa have been in the final together once – in 2000, when the South Africans hosted but the Nigerians successfully retained the trophy after a 2-0 defeat of the hosts in Johannesburg.
But it was another penalty lottery that gave Nigeria the day even as Asisat Oshoala missed a 76th minute penalty but that did not stop the Nigerian team from being victorious as goalkeeper Tochukwu saved the last kick taken by South Africa. The keeper also gave Nigeria victory again the Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon in the first semi-final.
Onome Ebi missed the first spot-kick but South Africa also threw away their second penalty to bring the Super Falcons even in the match. Francisca Ordega was given the man-of-the-match while Thembi Kgatlana won the most valuable player award. Cameroon won the Fair Play award as they join Nigeria and South Africa to next year’s FIFA’s Women’s World Cup in France.
Tochukwu was apparently the hero on the night.
AWCON WINNERS IN HISTORY
1998: Nigeria 2 Ghana 0 (Abeokuta)
2000: South Africa 0 Nigeria 2 (Johannesburg)
2002: Nigeria 2 Ghana 0 (Warri)
2004: Nigeria 5 Cameroon 0 (Johannesburg)
2006: Nigeria 1 Ghana 0 (Warri)
2008: Equatorial Guinea 2 South Africa 1 (Malabo)
2010: Nigeria 4 Equatorial Guinea 2 (Johannesburg)
2012: Equatorial Guinea 4 South Africa 0 (Malabo)
2014: Nigeria 2 Cameroon 0 (Windhoek)
2016: Cameroon 0 Nigeria 1 (Yaounde)
2018: Nigeria4 Vs South Africa 3 (Accra)
