Nigeria are through to the next stage of the women’s Olympic football qualifiers after beating Comoros 5-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, 13 October. Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu scored twice each, with Christy Ucheibe adding a penalty, as the Super Falcons completed a 7-0 aggregate victory.
The result sets up a third-round meeting with Morocco. It does not, however, mean Nigeria have qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Games: this was one step in a longer African qualifying campaign.
How Nigeria turned control into goals
The Nigeria Football Federation’s account records Payne’s opener in the 41st minute, following Kanu’s interception and pass. Nigeria had brought a two-goal advantage into the return leg, but the breakthrough still mattered: it gave the hosts a lead on the night before the interval.
Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen introduced Blessing Okpe for Gift Monday at half-time. Kanu then headed in Folashade Ijamilusi’s delivery in the 58th minute. A further Kanu effort was ruled out for offside, so that disallowed finish is not part of either her two-goal total or Nigeria’s final score.
The decisive second-half burst
As Channels Television reports, Okpe helped create Payne’s second goal in the 63rd minute. Ijamilusi supplied Kanu for another header three minutes later, before Ucheibe converted a 71st-minute penalty after Okpe was fouled inside the area.
That sequence helps explain the size of the win more clearly than the scoreline alone. Nigeria went into the break only 1-0 ahead; four goals after the restart transformed the return leg. Payne and Kanu provided the finishes, but the contributions from Ijamilusi and Okpe were also important to the chances described in the match reports.
What the result means for the Olympic race
Premium Times places the tie in its wider context: Africa’s qualification process has five rounds, with two Olympic places available. Nigeria returned to the Games at Paris 2024 after a 16-year absence and are now pursuing back-to-back appearances.
For supporters, the distinction is worth keeping in mind. Beating Comoros has secured another qualifying tie, not an Olympic berth. Morocco are the next opponent; a match date, venue or ticket announcement should be checked against a subsequent official fixture notice rather than assumed from this result.
One concern beyond the scoreline
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade left the game after a collision and was replaced by Ijamilusi. The reports consulted differ on the precise minute, so we have not assigned one here. They also do not establish a recovery timetable. The substitution should not be treated as confirmation of how serious any injury may be or whether she will miss another match.
The immediate takeaway is straightforward: Nigeria finished the tie without conceding across the two legs, found goals from three players in Ikenne and advanced. Attention now turns to the next qualifying challenge, while any fitness update on the captain needs separate confirmation.
Sources and further reading
- Nigeria Football Federation: official match report
- Channels Television: Payne and Kanu score twice
- Premium Times: the result and the remaining Olympic qualifying route
Featured image: Archive photograph: Nigeria against Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Nantes, 28 July 2024. Not the October 2026 Comoros qualifier. MFonzatti / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for display. · Source · Licence
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