Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu scored twice each as the Super Falcons beat Comoros 5-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday. Nigeria go through 7-0 on aggregate to the third round of the Los Angeles 2028 women's Olympic qualifiers, where Morocco await.
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Result | Nigeria 5-0 Comoros, second leg, 13 October 2026 |
| Venue | Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, Ogun State |
| Scorers | Payne 41′, 63′; Kanu 58′, 66′; Ucheibe 71′ (pen) |
| First leg | Nigeria 2-0 Comoros, 9 October (Alozie 48′, Kanu 60′) |
| Aggregate | 7-0 to Nigeria |
| Next opponent | Morocco, third round |
| Window | 23 February to 6 March 2027 |
Payne opens the floodgates
It took 41 minutes.
Comoros were the nominal visitors in a tie played entirely in Ogun State, because they lack a CAF-approved ground. They held firm until a goalkeeping error let Kanu square for Payne, who finished from close range.
The afternoon had already turned sour by then. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade went off in the first half after a heavy collision. Folashade Ijamilusi replaced her.
That change shaped the game. Ijamilusi crossed for Kanu to head in on 58 minutes. Payne made it 3-0 from a Blessing Okpe cut-back on 63, and three minutes later Ijamilusi delivered again for Kanu's second, which meant the two substitutes had a hand in three goals inside eight minutes of the second half.
Okpe, sent on for Gift Monday at the break, also won the penalty. Christy Ucheibe tucked it away on 71 minutes. Kanu thought she had another around the hour, but the flag was up.
Seven goals, none conceded.
Eguavoen waits on Ajibade
Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen faced questions about his captain at the post-match press conference in Ikenne. “Unfortunately, we lost Ajibade early in the game,” he said, as reported by AllNigeriaSoccer and Naija News. The medical team, he added, were taking her to hospital for an MRI scan. No result had been made public by Wednesday morning. Eguavoen was appointed on an interim basis by the NFF in September. He did not pretend the Comoros tie told him much. “Going forward, we expect to meet tougher oppositions, no doubt about that,” he told reporters. Then came the line that will travel: “Super Falcons are number one in Africa.”
Morocco next, and a bigger test
The Atlas Lionesses reached this stage without kicking a ball in the second round, because the Republic of the Congo pulled its women's team out of qualifying and FIFA then notified Morocco that they had advanced. The third-round tie is scheduled between 23 February and 6 March 2027, according to Soccernet and Africasoccer.
Only two African places are on offer for the women's tournament in Los Angeles, so a two-legged tie against Morocco is a very different proposition from a Comoros side that had arrived in Ikenne off a 30-0 aggregate win over Sudan in the preliminary round and still conceded seven without reply.
Ajibade's fitness is the first question.
Payne and Kanu, with four of Tuesday's five goals, have made a strong case to stay together up front.
For the build-up to this second leg, read our preview of the return match in Ikenne. For more on the captain whose injury now hangs over the Morocco tie, see our Rasheedat Ajibade biography.
This article was most recently revised and updated 19 seconds ago
