Coach Mariama Bom Sowe has heaped praise on her players despite losing to defending African champions Nigeria in a 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifier.

 Both teams faced off at the Independence Stadium in Bakau last Wednesday in the first leg, final round qualifying campaign leading to the AWCON in Ghana, with Nigeria winning by 1-0.

Midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo's lone strike separated the two teams in a game many football fans and pundits had predicted the Super Falcons will win convincingly with goals aplenty.

But the Gambia national team disappointed bookmakers by putting in a brilliant and respectable performance to keep the Nigerian side at bay.

With the concluding fixture yet undecided, Sowe is satisfied with the outcome of the first leg, stating that her wards were written off against Nigeria but they managed to prove many people wrong.

“I am happy with the final result even though we lost to Nigeria because many people were thinking that Nigeria will come to Banjul and humiliate us,” she told reporters after the game.

The return leg qualifier comes up next Monday in Lagos at the Agege Stadium popularly known as the Soccer Temple, with overall winners qualifying for the finals in Ghana.



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