Olympics Qualifiers: Eguavoen Confirms Ajibade Taken To Hospital

Super Falcons coach Austin Eguavoen has confirmed that captain Rasheedat Ajibade was taken to the hospital after suffering an injury during Nigeria’s 5-0 victory over Comoros in the second leg of the 2028 Olympic women’s football qualifiers on Tuesday.

Nigeria defeated Comoros 7-0 on aggregate to advance to the third round, where they will face Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses. The second-leg encounter took place at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu both scored twice, while Christy Ucheibe converted a penalty to complete Nigeria’s convincing victory. However, the performance was overshadowed by Ajibade’s injury.

The Super Falcons captain was stretchered off in the 23rd minute following a collision with a Comoros defender, raising concerns about her condition.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Eguavoen revealed that the medical team had taken Ajibade to the hospital for an MRI scan to determine the severity of the injury.

“Ajibade, I have not heard anything. I was with the medical team, and they said they were taking her to the hospital for an MRI to ascertain the degree of the injury,” Eguavoen told reporters.

ALSO READ

• 2028 Olympics Qualifier: Super Falcons Target Second Win Against Comoros
• 2028 Olympics Qualifier: Super Falcons Beat Comoros 2-0 In First Leg

He added: “Hopefully, before we get back to the hotel, we will know. As soon as we have information, I’m not the one to give it. The medical team will contact the Head of Media, and then we’ll get an update on Ajibade’s injury.” Despite the uncertainty, Eguavoen expressed hope that the injury was minor, saying he trusted it was “relatively minor.” Ajibade previously represented Nigeria at the 2024 Olympic Games in France, starting all three matches against Brazil, Spain and Japan.