…As VON apologizes for false reportage

President Bola Tinubu has expressed his delight at the Super Falcons’ spectacular victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), stating that he eagerly looks forward to receiving the trophy in Abuja.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga made this disclosure along with a video while the President called and appreciated the team over their victory.

The Nigerian female senior football team, Super Falcons, had lifted the 2024 Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating the host nation, Morocco 3-2 during the final match.

Super Falcons staged an extraordinary second-half comeback to defeat the host, Morocco, who had gone 2-0 up in the first half of the encounter played before a crowd inside the Stade Olympique in Rabat.

Trailing 2-0 at half-time in front of a partisan Moroccan crowd, the Super Falcons showed their pedigree and resilience, clawing their way back into the match with a display of clinical finishing and sheer determination to cement their status as queens of African football.

Not intimidated by the crowd, Esther Okoronkwo led the comeback with a superb goal during the game on Saturday.

Okoronkwo, who plies his trade for the Canadian team, AFC Toronto, recorded an assist after sending a through pass to Edo Queens’ former forward, Folashade Ijamilusi, to score and equalize for the Nigerian team.

As the game moved towards the extra time belt, a late goal from Jennifer Echegini overturned Morocco’s strong first-half lead, stunning the Atlas Lionesses who were hoping to clinch their first-ever continental title on home soil.

Morocco got off to a dream start. With just 12 minutes on the clock, captain Ghizlane Chebbak opened the scoring with a brilliant strike from outside the box, curling the ball low past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The home crowd erupted, sensing history in the making. And things got even better for the Atlas Lionesses in the 24th minute when Sanaâ Mssoudy doubled Morocco’s lead.

A slick pass from Ibtissam Jraidi found Mssoudy in space, and the forward made no mistake with a composed finish into the bottom right corner.

Nigeria appeared stunned and went into the break trailing by two goals, facing an uphill battle. But coach Justin Madugu’s half-time talk sparked a spirited response from the Super Falcons.

The comeback began just after the hour mark when a VAR review handed Nigeria a lifeline.

A handball by Nouhaila Benzina resulted in a penalty, which was coolly dispatched by Okoronkwo to make it 2-1.

From that moment, momentum swung Nigeria’s way. In the 71st minute, Okoronkwo turned provider, slipping a neat ball into the path of Ijamilusi, who drilled a left-footed effort into the bottom corner to bring Nigeria level.

With the match heading towards extra time, Nigeria found the winner. A well-worked set-piece situation saw Esther Okoronkwo once again involved, delivering a clever assist to Joe Echegini, who calmly slotted home in the 88th minute to seal a dramatic turnaround.

In a post-match video call with team captain Rasheedat Ajibade, her teammates, and Nigerian officials, President Tinubu congratulated the team on securing a record 10th continental title and lifting the nation’s spirits.

“I am very, very proud of you. The entire nation is proud of you. You have lifted our spirits. You are a pride to your generation and we are all very happy.

“You will be celebrated, and I congratulate all the coaches and management of the team, including the ministers and the officials,” he said.

The President extended his best regards to Rasheedat Ajibade, who emerged as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and clinched the Woman of the Tournament award.

He also praised Esther Okoronkwo’s composure during a crucial moment in the final, describing her 64th-minute penalty kick, which sparked a dramatic comeback, as “very courageous.”

Okoronkwo created the second goal and delivered the decisive free-kick that Jennifer Echegini converted to seal Nigeria’s 3-2 victory.

”Safe journey home, enjoy yourselves, avoid injuries, God bless you,” the President told the jubilant players and officials, who repeatedly interjected with ”Thank you, Mr President!”

Responding on behalf of the team, Ajibade thanked the President for approving the full payment of players’ allowances. She assured him the team was eager to present him with the WAFCON trophy in Abuja.

The lively exchange ended with a spirited rendition of the national anthem and three thunderous “Gbosa!” cheers for the President.

Meanwhile, the Voice of Nigeria (VON) has issued a public apology following the publication of a false report on its website about the outcome of the WAFCON 2025 final between Nigeria and Morocco.

In a statement by VON’s Director General, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the organisation expressed deep regret over the error, which had incorrectly reported that the Super Falcons lost the match.

“We sincerely apologize for the misinformation and the confusion it caused,” the statement read. “The integrity of our journalism is paramount, and we take this incident seriously.”

Preliminary internal reviews suggested the error may have resulted from an internal lapse. However, VON is also investigating a possible cyberattack or identity breach, raising the possibility that the report was the result of hacking.

In response, VON has launched a Fact-Checking Unit, an Investigative Desk, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Team as part of broader editorial reforms to strengthen accountability and public trust.

The agency also announced staff redeployments aimed at boosting internal efficiency and transparency, while stressing that no single staff member, including the sports reporter initially linked to the report, is being solely blamed.

“These reforms reflect our broader commitment to repositioning VON as a more responsive, transparent, and globally respected media institution,” Ndace stated.

He also thanked the public for their feedback and reaffirmed VON’s commitment to responsible journalism and public service.

 

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