Ghana Knock Out Nigeria From All-Africa Games

Nigeria will not take part in the women’s football event of this year’s All-Africa Games after the Super Falcons threw away a one-goal lead to lose their return leg qualifying match against Ghana’s Black Queens in Accra this evening.

Perpetua Nkwocha scored for the six-time African champions after only 11 minutes but the Queens, who failed to qualify for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Germany and were eliminated from the 2012 Olympic Games by Ethiopia, hit back to equalise in the second half and then fired the winner in added time with both teams soaking up the extra time.

The defeat summed up a sad weekend for Nigerian football following yesterday’s 3-2 defeat of the Super Eagles by the Hawks of Togo in the final of this year’s West African Football Union, WAFU, Cup tournament in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, was grieved. “It’s so sad. We threw everything into this second leg to ensure that our team picked the ticket but God decreed otherwise.

“We just have to take it that way because it’s all part of the game. It would have been great to have our women’s team in the All-Africa Games because that would have meant one gold medal guaranteed. But it is not going to happen and we must not lose focus.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is starting in Germany next month and we are also in the final round of the qualifying race for the London Olympics. We must ensure the team are adequately prepared for the World Cup and that we don’t falter in the last round of the Olympics qualifying match against another tricky team like Equatorial Guinea,” said Amadu.