Super Falcons forward Rasheedat Ajibade has humbly downplayed her role in Nigeria’s thrilling 2-1 semi-final win over South Africa at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), saying she did not deserve the Man of the Match (MOTM) award she received after the game.

Ajibade, who has now earned the MOTM honour for three consecutive matches, was visibly emotional, breaking into tears upon receiving the award. She opened the scoring with a composed penalty early in the match, but Banyana Banyana’s Linda Motlhalo equalized with a spot-kick of her own.

The deadlock was finally broken deep into stoppage time when Michelle Alozie’s looping cross evaded South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, sealing a dramatic win for the Super Falcons and booking Nigeria’s place in the final.

“I don’t deserve it, to be honest,” Ajibade said in her post-match reaction. “But God’s grace found me. And all of these Man of the Match awards, I dedicate them to my teammates.”

She went on to emphasize the collective effort behind the team’s success: “This is teamwork. It is not about me carrying this trophy today. It’s all about the team effort.”

Nigeria will now head into the WAFCON 2024 final with momentum and unity, led by a star who continues to shine—both on and off the pitch