Jennifer Echegini has described winning the Women's Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria as 'on another level', seven months after the Super Falcons came from two goals down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final and claim a record 10th African title. The 24-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder says the pride and achievement she felt playing alongside team-mates she loves made the victory especially memorable.
Echegini, who was born in the Netherlands and moved to England at age 11 before later playing college football in the United States, made her Nigeria debut in 2022 after initially considering the Netherlands more realistic. She scored her first international goal in a 3-0 win over New Zealand in 2023 and played at last year's World Cup, where Nigeria reached the last 16 before losing to England.
The midfielder recalled the team's determination in the final. 'We went into the second half with the mindset that it's all or nothing. You either give everything and maybe get something out of it, or you don't fight, and you then look back wishing you had.' The subsequent welcome in Nigeria included a reception at Aso Rock, where players were promised $100,000 and a house each – a pledge yet to be fulfilled.
Echegini believes Nigeria must improve their preparation to challenge at next year's World Cup, should they qualify. 'We need to prepare very well. We need to figure some things out, so we can be better. When you compete with teams that have all these facilities...' She also stressed the need for organisational upgrades ahead of this year's Wafcon defence in Morocco, where a top-four finish is required to maintain Nigeria's record of qualifying for every World Cup since 1991.
