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Following the upset by the Scorchers of Malawi in their first Group C match at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Super Falcons’ Benfica midfielder Christy Ucheibe – who watched the fixture from the bench – expressed her disappointment over the result.
She noted, however, that such setbacks are part of the game and reflect the rapid growth of women’s football across the continent. Nonetheless, she promised a much-improved performance in their upcoming clash against Zambia.
“I’m going to say it’s football. Nothing went wrong; both teams played very well, and that’s just football for you. You lose, you win, or you draw.
“But either way, you bounce back. In the next game against Zambia, we will try our best to get through this phase so we can qualify for the World Cup and defend our title,” Ucheibe told Victor Ademola.
After the game, the Nigerian players and coaching staff huddled together on the pitch, and Ucheibe summarized what was said in that short meeting.
“The message was just to cheer up and keep our heads up. It’s not the end of the tournament; it’s just the beginning. Back in 2018, the exact same thing happened against South Africa—they won the first game but came back to win the tournament,’ the Benfica star added.
“Every team on the continent is stepping up now. Malawi is a good team; they put up a strong fight, and so did we. Hopefully, in the next game, we will set the standard and make things right. Thank you.”
The Zambia game promises to be a tough test for Nigeria. In fact, they are condemned to get at win if they want to be in a safe position heading into the final group stage game.
The Copper Queens are fresh off a commanding 6-0 win against Egypt. And seeing how Malawi dispatched Nigeria, they will definitely be brimming with coonfidence.
