Rasheedat Ajibade of Atletico Madrid stole the show on Tuesday when the Super Falcons defeated Ethiopia's Lucy 4-0 in a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier.
Nigeria won the match 5-1 on aggregate after the first leg ended 1-1 in Addis Abeba.
While Nigeria dominated proceedings from the start, the girls did not score until nearly the end of the first half. In the 45th minute, Uchenna Kanu broke the deadlock. She received a long pass from Tosin Demehin and finished a fine counterattack for the home team.
Nigeria doubled their lead five minutes after the second half resumed. Asisat Oshoala of FC Barcelona Femeni sent an inviting cross into the Ethiopian box. Ajibade latched onto it, tapping in from close range to make it 2:0 for the Super Falcons.
🏴FULL TIME! in Abuja 📍
🇳🇬 Nigeria 4-0 Ethiopia 🇪🇹
We are through to the next round of the #OlympicQualifiers. We await second round winners between Cameroon and Uganda.
Thanks for your support 🙏🤍🤗#SoarSuperFalcons | #NGAETH| #Paris2024 | #OlympicsQualifiers pic.twitter.com/lPoWYdvCHX
— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) October 31, 2023
After 68 minutes, Oshoala nodded home from a Kanu cross to send the crowd at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, into a frenzy.
Four minutes later, Oshoala turned provider, racing into the right edge of the Ethiopian box before teeing Ajibade for her second goal of the evening and Nigeria’s fourth of the encounter. The Atletico lady was also the scorer in the 1-1 first-leg draw.
In the 85th minute, fans’ favourites Michelle Alozie came inches away from making the scoreline five.
Following Tuesday’s victory, the Super Falcons will now play the winner of the game between Uganda and Cameroon in the next and third round of the qualifiers.