Super Falcons’ No.9 Problem: Is Ihezuo the Answer?

Ihezuo was handed the starting berth as first-choice centre forward at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations under coach Justin Madugu and delivered with three goals across the tournament. In the 2025-26 Liga MX Femenil season, she has gone on to make 26 appearances, starting 22, and has accumulated eight goals and one assist across more than 1,700 minutes of football. The data that has emerged from her season paints a picture of a reliable, if specific, type of finisher, and the question now is whether that profile is enough to anchor the Super Falcons attack going into WAFCON 2026.

As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, her scouting report from the Mexican league identifies aerial dominance and high-volume pressing as her clearest strengths. She wins more attacking aerials than the average forward in the Liga MX Femenil and is particularly dangerous inside the opposition penalty area from set pieces, a trait that draws direct comparisons to Oparanozie during her prime years with the national team. Super Falcons fans eager to follow Nigeria’s WAFCON campaign can check out the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code ahead of the tournament.

The Finishing Paradox

What makes the Ihezuo question complicated is a striking pattern in her finishing data. She is exceptional from the region just in front of the six-yard box, outperforming comparable strikers in the Mexican league when shooting from that narrow area. But her numbers drop sharply elsewhere. She misfires from other areas within the penalty area, converts poorly on close-range efforts from the six-yard line itself, and sits below average when attempting shots from outside the box.

The picture that emerges is a penalty-area specialist who operates as a terminal finisher rather than a creator. Her touches per 90 are low, her chance-creation numbers are modest, and her ball retention drops when under physical pressure, particularly in central and right-side zones. In simple terms, she is not yet capable of pinning defenders and holding the ball up the way Oparanozie could. Those are skills that can be developed, but they are currently absent from her game at club level.

She is also not without injury concerns. Reports emerging in March 2026 indicated that a potentially serious knock could threaten her availability for WAFCON. Esther Okonkwo is also in a race against time after a meniscus tear sustained during club duty in Canada, adding further weight to the selection headache facing Nigeria’s technical crew. With a semi-final finish at WAFCON required for qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the stakes could not be higher. Fans planning to follow every Super Falcons match can use the Nigeria’s top Bet9ja code for tournament betting ahead of kick-off.

Gift Monday Offers a Different Threat

The most frequently discussed alternative to Ihezuo is Gift Monday, who returned to the Super Falcons setup in February 2026 after missing the WAFCON 2024 MissionX campaign. Monday is currently at Washington Spirit in the NWSL, but her 2025-26 season has been disrupted by limited playing time. She has made nine appearances with just one start, accumulating fewer than 300 minutes on the pitch and contributing a single goal.

The contrast with Ihezuo is stark on paper. Monday’s previous NWSL season, in 2024-25, was outstanding, where she finished as Washington Spirit’s top scorer with 10 goals including a hat-trick against Houston Dash, averaging over 60 minutes per game across more than 1,500 minutes of football. That form earned her recall to the national team. But with so few minutes in the current campaign, her percentile rankings are statistically volatile, making a reliable comparison with Ihezuo difficult. New fans looking to back Nigeria’s women can get started with Bet9ja’s bonus conversion guide before the WAFCON group stage begins.

The Bigger Picture for the Super Falcons

Neither Ihezuo nor Monday represents the complete package that Oparanozie or Asisat Oshoala offered at their respective peaks. Oshoala herself has been winding down her international involvement since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and is now focused on mentoring younger players rather than leading the line. Together, Ihezuo and Monday offer contrasting profiles: one a physical, aerial poacher who can sustain a pressing role over a full season, the other a mobile, run-based threat with elite finishing potential when fit and in rhythm.

The technical staff will need to decide whether to build around Ihezuo, bring Monday in as a rotation option, look further afield toward NWFL-based talent, or find a tactical setup that does not rely on a traditional centre forward at all. What is clear is that the clock is ticking, the position is unsettled, and WAFCON 2026 will force a decision one way or another.