Rasheedat Ajibade has revealed that Nigeria refused to exercise fear which propelled his side to beat South Africa 2-1 in one of the semifinals of the Women African Cup of Nations on Tuesday in Morocco.
The Super Falcons scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, moment before the half-time break through Ajibade. South Africa’s Linda Motlhalo equalised after converting a spot kick. Nigeria then secured the victory few minutes before the end of the game through Michelle Alozie.
Ajibade, who captained Nigeria during the game, explained that his side was nervous and revealed how they overcame it.
“To be honest, for a moment we were a bit nervous. There was confusion when it was 1–1,” Ajibade said.
“It’s normal sometimes to get confused at that point in the game. We had to call ourselves to order and remind each other that if we allowed fear to creep in, it would divide the team and the opponent would take advantage of our weakness.
“We had some opportunities but didn’t put them away. But in the end, what matters most is the final score, and we got the result we needed.
“We came back together, stayed strong and encouraged each other. We made sure we pushed to the very end,”
South Africa’s Gabriela Salgado was injured in the game and went out on a stretcher. Ajibade has sympathised with her and hopes she recovers quickly.
“Honestly, I felt broken and disappointed. As a player, I always pray for myself and my opponents. Injuries are one of the biggest challenges for any athlete,” she said.
“We really sympathise with her, and after the game, we will make sure to check on her recovery. We pray she comes back stronger to continue doing what she loves.”
Nigeria will face the host country, Morocco in the final of the WAFCON tournament on July 26.
