Super Falcons maul Ethiopia 4-0 in Olympic qualifiers

Nigeria’s Super Falcons thrashed Ethiopia’s Lucy 4-0 on Tuesday in Abuja to reach the third round of the African qualifiers for the 2024 Women Olympic Football Tournament.

The first leg of the tie ended 1-1 in Addis Ababa meaning Nigeria won the encounter 5-1 on aggregate.

🏴FULL TIME! in Abuja 📍

🇳🇬 Nigeria 4-0 Ethiopia 🇪🇹

We are through to the next round of the #OlympicQualifiers. We await second round winners between Cameroon and Uganda.

Thanks for your support 🙏🤍🤗#SoarSuperFalcons | #NGAETH| #Paris2024 | #OlympicsQualifiers pic.twitter.com/lPoWYdvCHX

— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) October 31, 2023

Atletico Madrid’s Rasheedat Ajibade stole the show with a brace while Uchenna Kanu and Asisat Oshoala got one goal each.

While Nigeria dominated proceedings from the onset, it took almost the end of the first half for the girls to find the net. Uchenna Kanu broke the deadlock in the 45th minute. She received a long pass from Tosin Demehin and slotted cooly to finish a fine counterattack for the home team.

On resumption of the second half, it took Nigeria five minutes to double the advantage. FC Barcelona Femeni star Asisat Oshoala floated an inviting cross into the Ethiopia box. Ajibade latched onto it, tapping in from close range to make it 2:0 for the Super Falcons.

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After 68 minutes, Oshoala nodded home from a Kanu cross to send the crowd at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, into a frenzy.

68′ GOOOOAAL! in Abuja 📍

🇳🇬 Nigeria 3-0 Ethiopia 🇪🇹

Boom 💥 Agba baller @AsisatOshoala gets on the scoresheet off @UcheOfficial_ brilliant cross 🔥🔥#SoarSuperFalcons | #NGAETH| #Paris2024 | #OlympicsQualifiers

— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) October 31, 2023

Ajibade, lithe and sparse and dangerous as ever, sneaked in to bundle the ball past Bergena four minutes later after another cross from Oshoala.

With this victory, the nine-time African champions will next meet the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon who overturned a 2-0 defeat in Kampala to defeat Uganda 3-0 after extra time in Yaounde on Tuesday.