There is no part of the world that you won’t see a Nigerian be it on social media or in several countries that you can ever think of, such is true in Morocco as large number of fans troop out to cheer and support Super Falcons for WAFCON-22 tournament.
The defending champions are the most successful in the competition having won nine Women Afcon trophies since it inception and are on course for a record tenth.
Singing, dancing and drumming for the full 90 minutes has now become their routine on matchdays. They come in more than an hour before the game, to organize their drums and select the side of the stand that is directly opposite the team bench.
With thier white and green shirts same as the Nigerian flag, they start by chanting “Nigeria. Nigeria. Nigeria.” This changes to “inside the net” if they get an attacking set piece or when the Super Falcons mount an attack on goal.
When it is the opponents who have a scoring chance in a dangerous position, they quickly chant “over the bar, over the bar” and on it goes, as they enjoy their time in the stands.
“This means so much to me as a Nigerian to come here and support the Super Falcons. I always watch them on television, so when I heard that they will be coming to Morocco to play at the WAFCON, I was super excited. I told my friends that we must come and support them,” said the excited Ahmad Saddauna Alli, a PhD candidate of Arabic and Islamic Studiesat the Dar El Hadith El Hassania in Rabat.
“It is the first time I have an opportunity to support my country like this. This signifies the unity that we have. It is amazing.”
“There is so many of us here and for us seeing the Super Falcons and the way they are playing makes us super proud. The performance gives me more joy than when I watch on TV,” Alli continues, while moving his body from side to side on the edge of his seat as he keeps an eye on the action on the pitch, delighting in Nigeria leading 4-0 against Burundi.
For Alli and the other Nigerian fans, after a shaky start things are looking good for the defending champions, who are eyeing a record 10th African crown.
This hope in the team is what has given the fans even more confidence to make sacrifices to to do their part to give encouragement to the team.
As the Nigerian fans pack their belongings to leave the stadium, it is all smiles, handshakes and hugs and general contentment that their efforts are worthwhile.
To make it an even better feeling, they get a solid recognition from the players and coaching staff, who raise their arms and clap for them as they walk off the pitch and acknowledge their support immensely.
Nigeria finished second in Group C with six points, scoring seven goals – the most scored by a team in the group stages – and conceding only the two goals they let in against South Africa in their opening game as culled from CAF’s website.
