Super Falcons celebrating a goal against Egypt Photo Naija News
By Toyin WilliamsÂ
In a bid to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil the Super Falcons of Nigeria will put in their best to ensure the defeat of the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon. This will also ensure they qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Both sides are expected to play in Casablanca on Sunday (today).
The quarter-final tie, the standout fixture of the last eight, will hold at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium at 6pm Nigeria time, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals and qualifying for the World Cup, while the loser will enter the African play-off route in their bid to reach Brazil.
Nigeria, 10-time WAFCON champions and defending champions, endured a difficult route through the group stage, losing their opener 3-2 to debutants Malawi before recovering with a 1-0 victory over Zambia.
Asisat Oshoala scored the winner in the Zambia game, where Nigeria played more than 50 minutes with 10 players following Oluwatosin Demehin’s dismissal.
The Falcons then produced their best performance of the group stage in their final game, thrashing Egypt 6-2 with six different players finding the net to finish second in Group C.
Cameroon, meanwhile, topped Group D unbeaten, opening their campaign with a 2-1 win over Mali, with Marie Gisele Ngah Manga scoring twice. They followed that with a 1-0 victory over Ghana through another Ngah Manga goal from the penalty spot before drawing 1-1 with debutants Cape Verde.
The last competitive meeting between the two nations came in the 2022 WAFCON quarter-finals in Casablanca, where Rasheedat Ajibade’s 56th-minute strike sent Nigeria into the semi-finals.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s encounter, Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu said the team’s objective remained qualification for the World Cup and retaining their continental crown.
“Our objective remains picking the World Cup ticket and then going ahead to retain the trophy. Nothing has changed,” Madugu told a press conference in Casablanca on Saturday.
“We know what it means, and we will be ready for it.”
