‘Nothing went wrong’ - Super Falcons star explains shock opening WAFCON defeat to Malawi

Nigeria's Super Falcons suffered a stunning 3-2 loss to Malawi in their opening match on Tuesday. The ten-time African champions were heavily favoured to secure a comfortable victory against their Malawian opponents. 

However, a scoreless first half hinted that the match would not go according to plan. The game exploded into life after the break, with Malawi's Scorchers racing to a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga. 

Nigeria fought back late, with Rasheedat Ajibade scoring in the second minute of stoppage time to halve the deficit. 

But Temwa Chawinga quickly restored Malawi's two-goal advantage, making Uchenna Kanu's subsequent goal in the ninth minute of added time a mere consolation. 

Following the match, Benfica midfielder Christy Ucheibe, who was an unused substitute, shared her thoughts on the unexpected defeat. 

While expressing her disappointment, she attributed the result to the unpredictable nature of football and the growing competitiveness of the women's game in Africa.

Ucheibe assured fans that the team would deliver a much-improved performance in their next fixture against Zambia.

"I'm going to say it's football. Nothing went wrong; both teams played very well, and that's just football for you. You lose, you win, or you draw," Ucheibe told Victor Ademola. 

"But either way, you bounce back. In the next game against Zambia, we will try our best to get through this phase so we can qualify for the World Cup and defend our title."

The Nigerian players and staff held a brief huddle on the pitch after the final whistle, and Ucheibe revealed the core message was one of encouragement.

"The message was just to cheer up and keep our heads up. It's not the end of the tournament; it's just the beginning," she explained. 

"Back in 2018, the exact same thing happened against South Africa—they won the first game, but we came back to win the tournament."

Ucheibe acknowledged the strength of their opponents, adding, "Every team on the continent is stepping up now. 

“Malawi are a good team; they put up a strong fight, and so did we. Hopefully, in the next game, we will set the standard and make things right."

The result marks a historic upset for Malawi and has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian football community.