Comoros head coach Youssouf Abdallah and captain Assimina Maoulida have refused to write off their team’s chances of reaching the next round of the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the first leg.
The Comorians were beaten by second-half goals from Michelle Alozie and Uchenna Kanu at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, leaving them with a mountain to climb ahead of Tuesday’s return leg.
However, both Abdallah and Maoulida insisted that the tie remains alive and that their team can still produce a response.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, the Comoros captain remained optimistic about her side’s chances of staging a comeback.
Yes, of course. I think that we can reverse the game. Today we showed something. I think today we don’t have to stop dreaming.
She stressed that the players still believe in themselves and would focus on recovering properly before preparing for the decisive second leg.
We will recover from this match and then prepare for the next one. We will try to take the win. Why not?
Head coach Youssouf Abdallah also took positives from the defeat, particularly his team’s disciplined defensive display in the first half.
Comoros frustrated Nigeria for 45 minutes and went into the break with the score still level at 0-0 despite sustained pressure from the Super Falcons.
According to Abdallah, that performance showed his players are capable of competing against one of Africa’s strongest teams.
As the captain said, if we did it for 45 minutes, we will be able to do it for longer in the next game.
The coach explained that Comoros’ objective now is not only to remain defensively organised for a longer period but also to pose more attacking threats.
That is our goal. Not only to stay longer at 0-0, but also to score a goal.
Although disappointed with the result, Abdallah acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian side and reiterated that matches like these are important for the development of football in Comoros.
The coach believes his players can learn valuable lessons from competing against experienced international opponents as they continue to grow as a team.
Despite trailing 2-0, Comoros remain determined to fight until the final whistle of the second leg.
Nigeria will enter Tuesday’s return fixture as favourites after establishing a two-goal advantage, but Comoros have made it clear they have not given up hope of producing a memorable comeback.
The Super Falcons will be aiming to finish the job and secure qualification to the next round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers, while Comoros will be looking to keep their Olympic dream alive.
