The Super Falcons played against Cape Verde on Thursday and delivered a solid performance to earn the win
Nigeria’s Super Falcons defeated Cape Verde 5-0 in the first leg of the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations final qualifier, Soccernet.ng reported.
Although the Super Falcons were missing some of their best stars, they delivered a solid performance and earned a much-needed victory.
Esther Okoronkwo and Uchenna each scored two goals, while Gift Monday also contributed one goal. Soccernet.ng evaluates the performance of the players who played for the Super Falcons.
Chiamaka Nnadoji 8/10: Nnadoji couldn’t do much in the match as Nigeria dominated the match. She made a big save in the first half. But apart from that, she displayed her calming effect in goal.
Toshin Demehin 7/10: The Super Falcons star had a solid game. She rarely missed anything and had a good link-up with O’Hale in Nigeria’s defence.
Akudo Ogbonna 8/10: Ogbonna was decent as a full-back. She didn’t do much defensively and didn’t contribute much offensively other than assists. Nevertheless, it was a decent performance of hers.
Rofiat Imran 7/10: Imran played a good game. Like her other defenders, she had little defensive work. She was more adventurous than her right Akudo. Imran also provided an assist.
Oshinachi Ohare 8/10: Ohare was the last leader. She was so solid that she had a cooling effect on Nigeria’s defense. She showed great understanding to Akudo and Demehin.
Peace Efih 7/10: Efih had a decent match. However, in some cases it was a failure and the sending off could have been better. Still, it was a good performance from the midfielder.
Rashiedat Ajibade 7/10: Ajibade has always been a threat in Nigeria’s attack. She used her skill and speed to confuse Cape Verde’s defense, and she could have scored if the goalkeeper wasn’t there.
Toni Payne 8/10: Payne performed very well, maintaining creative positions and showing a good understanding of the attacker. She was also spot on with her decision making.
Deborah Abiodun 7.5/10: Abiodun had another solid performance in Nigeria’s midfield. Her work rate was great and allowed the Super Falcons to dominate the game.
Uchenna Kanu 8/10: Kanu gave a great performance. She scored two goals, both of which highlighted her quality. There were occasional breaks, but it was still a decent performance.
Gift Monday 7.6/10: Monday was a very good game. She also scored for the Super Falcons. She was very active in attack and alarmed the Cape Verde offensive line with her runs.
Esther Okoronkwo 8.5: Okoronkwo had a great game against Nigeria. Although he only played 45 minutes, he used his time well and scored two goals. She also looked very sharp in the Nigerian attack.
