From the opening whistle, the Falcons asserted their authority, dictating the tempo of the game and pressing forward with unwavering determination. Their efforts were rewarded in the seventh minute when Uchenna Kanu netted the curtain-raiser, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. The goal served as a catalyst for the Falcons, who continued to bombard the Cape Verde defense with relentless attacks.
Just before the half-hour mark, Tenerife forward Gift Monday doubled Nigeria's lead, capitalizing on a goalmouth scramble to send the ball into the back of the net. The Falcons were not satisfied with a two-goal advantage and continued to push forward, their attacking prowess proving too much for Cape Verde to handle.
Kanu, determined to leave her mark on the match, added her second goal of the game late in the first half, converting a Toni Payne cross with a clinical finish. The Falcons' dominance was undeniable, and they went into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half saw no change in the Falcons' relentless pursuit of goals. Esther Okoronkwo, who came on as a substitute, made her presence felt in the 66th minute, scoring a sublime goal off Esther Akudo Ogbonna's cross. Eleven minutes later, Okoronkwo secured her second goal of the game, putting the finishing touches on a truly dominant performance.
The 5-0 thrashing marked the Falcons' biggest win in a competitive fixture since their 6-0 triumph against Equatorial Guinea in the 2018 CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The victory not only puts them in a strong position to advance to the WAFCON finals but also serves as a resounding reminder of their status as a force to be reckoned with in African women's football.
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