Super Falcons thrash Comoros to reach next round of 2028 Olympic qualifying

Nigeria’s Super Falcons secured their place in the next round of the 2028 Olympics Women’s Football Tournaments qualifiers with a 5-0 victory over Comoros in Ikenne on Tuesday.

The result completed a 7-0 aggregate win in the second round, following Nigeria’s 2-0 success in the first leg on Friday. They will now face Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses in the next stage of the qualifying campaign.

Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen’s side dominated from the opening stages and almost took the lead in the ninth minute. Gift Monday broke through the Comoros defence but was unable to round the goalkeeper cleanly.

Nigeria were forced into an early change when captain Rasheedat Ajibade was taken off in the 28th minute after a heavy collision. Folashade Ijamilusi came on in her place.

The breakthrough arrived four minutes before half-time. Uchenna Kanu, who scored Nigeria’s second goal in Friday’s first-leg win, intercepted the ball after an error by the Comoros goalkeeper and squared it for Toni Payne to finish from close range.

Eguavoen introduced Blessing Okpe for Gift Monday at the interval, and the substitution helped Nigeria increase the pressure after the restart.

Kanu doubled the lead on the night in the 58th minute, meeting an accurate cross from Ijamilusi with a firm header. She appeared to have scored again three minutes later from another Ijamilusi delivery, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Nigeria added a third in the 63rd minute when Okpe ran past two defenders before cutting the ball back to Payne, who scored her second goal of the match.

Ijamilusi claimed another assist three minutes later, sending in a cross for Kanu to head home her second of the evening and her third goal across the two-legged tie.

The Super Falcons were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute after Okpe was brought down inside the Comoros penalty area. Christy Ucheibe took responsibility and converted the spot-kick to make it 5-0.

Nigeria used their remaining substitutions during the closing stages. Jennifer Echegini and Kanu were replaced by Suliat Abideen and Shakirat Moshood in the 81st minute, before Fatimah Soliat came on for Payne in the 87th minute.

The 7-0 aggregate victory sends Nigeria through to the next round, where they will meet Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses.