CAN 2024 (W): "It's clear, Nigeria were better than us," says Nora Häuptle

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·19 July 2025

CAN 2024 (W): "It's clear, Nigeria were better than us," says Nora Häuptle

After a heavy defeat to Nigeria, Zambia's coach admits the Super Falcons' superiority.

CAN 2024 (W): "It's clear, Nigeria were better than us," says Nora Häuptle

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Nora Häuptle, the coach of Zambia, openly acknowledged Nigeria's clear dominance after her team’s heavy 5-0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women's AFCON on July 18 in Casablanca. The Super Falcons impressed with their clinical finishing and tactical mastery.

Up against a well-organized and efficient Super Falcons side, the Zambians never managed to make their mark on the match. From the opening minutes, Nigeria seized control. Thanks to Osinachi Ohale, Esther Okoronkwo, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Oluwatosin Demehin, and Folashade Ijamilusi, Nigeria cruised to a 5-0 victory. The Zambian squad simply couldn’t match the Super Falcons’ physical and technical prowess in this decisive clash.

In the post-match press conference, Zambia’s head coach gave full credit to Nigeria. Nora Häuptle described it as an off day for her team, overwhelmed by the tactical and individual superiority of their opponents.

"It’s a very clear defeat for us. Congratulations to Nigeria on a well-deserved victory. I think today we simply have to accept that Nigeria were better than us. None of us were at our best—not the players, nor myself as coach. This is a collective defeat," said Nora Häuptle.

In this CAN 2024, Zambia had booked their spot in the quarterfinals after finishing second in their group. Despite an encouraging run to this stage, the Copper Queens see their journey end just short of the final four. Häuptle pointed to a gap in performance and experience.

"In the Nigerian team, almost everyone plays abroad, whether it’s in France or America. They have far more players overseas. Nigeria is a country of about 200 million people, while Zambia has just 20 million. We don’t have as much talent. We saw that physically, we’re not at the same level. We have to go back and find ways for our players to go abroad earlier and develop," she concluded.