Asisat Oshoala scored early as Nigeria’s Super Falcons edged Zambia 1-0 to revive their WAFCON 2026 knockout-stage hopes.
Oshoala struck just eight minutes into the Group C encounter, producing the moment of quality Nigeria needed to take control of a tightly contested clash.
The early goal gave the Super Falcons a valuable advantage, but their task became significantly harder after defender Tosin Demehin was shown a red card for an infringement on Zambia forward Barbra Banda.
Down to 10 players, Nigeria were forced into a disciplined defensive display as Zambia searched for an equaliser.
The Super Falcons held their shape, battled through intense pressure and defended their narrow advantage to secure a vital three points.
The victory moves Nigeria onto three points, level with Zambia, and keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stage firmly alive.
Nigeria will now turn their attention to their final Group C fixture against Egypt, knowing another positive result could be decisive in determining their fate.
Egypt suffered a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in the other Group C fixture, leaving them bottom of the table without a point.
Malawi, meanwhile, have taken command of the group with six points from two matches, while Zambia and Nigeria sit level on three points.
The Super Falcons will now look to build on their hard-fought victory over Zambia when they face Egypt, with qualification for the knockout stage at stake.
For Nigeria, the result is more than just three points. It is a statement of resilience from a side that refused to surrender despite playing with 10 players for a significant portion of the match.
