Sports
Super Falcons beat Morocco 3-2, earn $1m for winning 10th WAFCON title
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Super Falcons of Nigeria came back from two goals down to beat hosts, Morocco 3-2, to claim their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations’ trophy.
The home side got off to a two-goal lead in the first half of the final played at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on Saturday night.
Captain Ghizlane Chebbak opened the scoring for the Atlas Lionesses with a brilliant strike from outside the box, curling the ball low past Nigerian goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie.
In the 24th minute, Sanaâ Mssoudy doubled Morocco’s lead.
The comeback by Ziper Falcons began just after the hour mark when a VAR review handed Justine Maduagu’s side a lifeline.
A handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Esther Okoronkwo to make it 2-1.
In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo slipped a neat ball into the path of Ijamilusi, who drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to bring the Super Falcons level.
Nigeria then took the lead for the first time in the encounter in the 89th minute, when Okoronkwo once again delivered a well-worked set-piece to Joe Echegini, who calmly slotted home to seal a dramatic turnaround.
Despite late pressure and a flurry of Moroccan attacks, the Super Falcons held firm through a tense final few minutes of stoppage time to win the game.
The victory earned Nigeria a $1 million prize, and a successful ending to a Mission X campaign.
In the tournament, the Super Falcons decimated all three teams that had beaten them in the 2022 finals also staged in Morocco.
They defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarter finals to avenge a third-place defeat by the Copper Queens in 2022.
In the semi finals, they edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana who had beaten them 2-1 in the group stage in 2022.
In the final, they defeated the Atlas Lionesses that had beaten them on penalty shootout in the semi finals in 2022.
They also kept to their record of never losing a Women AFCON Final.
An entire youth football team from Ethiopia has reportedly disappeared in Sweden after taking part in the Gothia Cup, one of the world’s largest international youth football tournaments.
According to reports by Sweden Herald, about 20 members of the delegation including players aged between 14 and 17, as well as several adult supervisors left their hotel in Gothenburg without checking out and have not been seen since.
The Gothia Cup concluded about 10 days ago, but Swedish authorities say the group has neither been located nor returned to Ethiopia.
Officials have since launched a coordinated search involving the Swedish Migration Agency, border police, and authorities in other countries in an effort to trace the missing team members.
Authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the group’s disappearance or whether they are believed to have left Sweden voluntarily.
The incident has drawn international attention as investigations continue to determine the whereabouts of the players and their supervisors. No further official information has been released regarding the case.
Neymar Jr has formally retired from international duty with Brazil following their disappointing World Cup.
The 34-year-old is his nation’s record goalscorer with 80 goals in 130 caps and scored in a fourth World Cup with a penalty against Norway.
But he could not save Carlo Ancelotti’s side from an early exit and struggled for fitness throughout.
Back with Santos and back in the headlines, the former Barcelona forward has now confirmed he will not play in the famous yellow shirt again.
“My time with the national team is over. I made history, I was very happy, I gave my all, my life,” he said.
“I always fought and gave my best for this jersey, but I think I don’t want it anymore.”
Neymar made his Brazil debut in 2010, scoring on his debut against the USA. He was a star at the 2014 World Cup until he injured his back and without him Brazil were humiliated 7-1 by Germany in the semi-final.
He won the Confederations Cup in 2013 and was runner-up in the Copa America of 2021 but retires after being unable to guide Brazil to a major honour.
Neymar received criticism in the Brazilian press this week after he took part in a poker tournament while he was returning to full fitness following the World Cup.
The 34-year-old celebrated in his comeback match by pretending to deal poker cards, having explained at the time of the reports that he had trained with Santos and been given permission to pursue his pastime.
Former Al-Hilal, Paris-Saint-Germain and Barcelona playmaker Neymar now has six goals in this season’s Serie A, scoring his first club goals since May 10 on his first Santos appearance since May 17.
Debutants Malawi pulled off a shock 3-2 victory over Nigeria’s Super Falcons in their opening Group C fixture at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat.
The result marks a stunning start to the tournament for Malawi, who are appearing at WAFCON for the first time, while Nigeria began their campaign with defeat.
The first half was goalless, with the Super Falcons dominating possession and territory but unable to find a breakthrough. Chiamaka Nnadozie was called into action to deny Malawi late in the half, while Nigeria squandered several chances of their own, including a good opportunity from a cross into the box.
Nigeria brought on Toni Payne for Folashade Ijamilusi early in the second half in search of a way through, but it was Malawi who struck first, capitalising on a defensive lapse to go 2-0 up in the 80th minute.
Nigeria responded in stoppage time, pulling a goal back in the 90+2nd minute, but Malawi restored their two-goal cushion moments later to make it 3-1. Uchenna Kanu gave Nigeria a glimmer of hope with a goal deep into added time, but it wasn’t enough — the match finished 3-2 to Malawi.
The 2026 WAFCON doubles as the qualification tournament for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, raising the stakes for Nigeria as they look to bounce back in their remaining group matches.
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