Nigeria’s Women’s soccer team clinched an unprecedented 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title dedicating their victory to Jesus Christ. The team's captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, voted the best player of the tournament, led the team in songs of praise to God following their dramatic 3-2 come back against the hosts Morocco in a tight final played in Rabat.
Throughout the tournament, the Nigerian women's team known as the Super Falcons demonstrated their faith, turning every match into an opportunity for worship and praise in their goal dubbed #MissionX – a quest to lift the coveted trophy for the tenth time. Videos shared online capture the team singing Christian songs as they marched into stadiums and celebrated their victories.
One heartwarming instance shows the team singing, “We thank you Jesus, thank you our Lord. Jesus our darling you’re a wonderful God. We love you so much, you’re a wonderful Lord.” In another powerful moment, players were seen singing and declaring, “All the way to Calvary Jesus went for us and died to set us free,” and “we’ll never turn back from following Jesus. No, no, we’ll never turn. It’s too late to turn back from Jesus.”
Ajibade, who was once a Muslim, attributed the team's success to "God’s grace and mercy" and the team's collective strong mentality. Ajibade's commitment to her faith is evident in many aspects of her life and leadership. During the WAFCON, she notably wore a sports shirt emblazoned with the powerful inscription: "JESUS, YOU ARE ENOUGH".
In previous posts on her social media, the Super Falcons captain has openly stated that she "sees God behind every situation", believing that God uses her difficult past experiences to shape her passion for helping and campaigning for others, ensuring they don't have to endure similar hardships. For her, "Life without Jesus is chaotic," and she finds assurance in knowing that God works through all circumstances, even chaos, when it's not immediately apparent.
Beyond the pitch, Ajibade actively uses her platform to promote the Gospel. She hosts the "Rash4Christ" podcast, where she engages in faith-filled conversations, inviting fellow athletes like Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene to share their journeys and how faith has guided them through the complexities of women's football. Her commitment extends to empowering the next generation through her RASH Foundation, which invests in grassroots football and provides medical outreach, all while emphasizing her vision for Nigerian football's future.
Some of the Christian star players who dominated each game include Esther Okoronkwo, who scored the winning goal, midfield anchor Halimatu Ayinde, who overcame two ACL injuries within 24 months, a period of immense personal struggle, and Chiamaka Nnadozie, adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Okoronkwo, the player who sealed the victory for Nigeria at the tournament said at the end of the match: “I am very happy to be a champion. The first-half goals were unfortunate. It happens in football. When we went to the locker room, we gathered the fighting spirit because it was all or nothing. The Moroccan team has chemistry, they were a tough team.”
Michelle Chinwendu Alozie, another top scorer in the squad, is also a professed Christian. She’s a graduate of Molecular Biology from Yale University, and also plays for Houston Dash. In addition to playing soccer, she works as a part-time cancer research technician at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
The tournament final which was held in Rabat’s 21,000 capacity Olympic stadium has $1 million prize for Nigeria’s winning team.
