Nigeria kept their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite playing the entire second half with 10 players.
The tournament in Morocco also serves as the African qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. All four semi-finalists will secure automatic qualification, while the losing quarter-finalists will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
The Super Falcons entered Saturday's Group C encounter under pressure following a surprise 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi in their opening match.
Nigeria made the perfect start when star forward Asisat Oshoala opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Her initial effort was saved by Zambia goalkeeper Hazel Nali, but the rebound ricocheted off Oshoala's right thigh and into the net.
The defending champions suffered a major setback five minutes before halftime when defender Oluwatosin Demehin was sent off after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Referee Josphine Wanjiku upgraded an initial yellow card to a red after ruling Demehin had denied Barbra Banda a clear goalscoring opportunity as the last defender, although replays suggested Rofiat Imuran may have been in a covering position.
Despite their numerical advantage, Zambia struggled to break down Nigeria's resilient defence. Racheal Kundananji came closest when her powerful long-range free-kick was brilliantly tipped over by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, while Grace Chanda missed a golden opportunity deep into stoppage time by volleying over the crossbar.
Banda, one of Africa's biggest stars, was largely kept quiet as Nigeria held firm to secure a vital three points.
The victory moves Nigeria level with Zambia on three points in Group C, although both trail leaders Malawi, who maintained their perfect record with a 3-1 win over Egypt earlier in the day.
Nigeria will face Egypt in their final group match on Wednesday, while Zambia take on Malawi in a decisive contest.
Elsewhere at WAFCON 2026, hosts Morocco have already secured a place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare. Meanwhile, reigning African champions South Africa are in danger of missing out on World Cup qualification after collecting just one point from their opening two Group B matches.
Banyana Banyana must defeat Burkina Faso and hope Ivory Coast overcome Tanzania in Tuesday's final group fixtures to keep their qualification hopes alive.
