The Super Falcons will be ready for a fight when they take on Cameroon in the 2026 WAFCON quarterfinal
Nigeria head coach Justin Madugu insists the Super Falcons will be ready for their crucial WAFCON quarter-final against Cameroon despite their inconsistent group-stage campaign.
With a semi-final place and automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the line, Nigeria face one of their toughest tests of the tournament.
Madugu refuses to look at past results
Nigeria finished second in Group C after all three leading teams ended the group stage with six points. Malawi topped the group through the tie-breakers, while Nigeria finished ahead of Zambia, who were eliminated after scoring fewer goals in matches involving the three teams.
The Super Falcons now face Cameroon, a side that conceded only two goals across their three group matches. That defensive solidity could make Sunday’s encounter at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat particularly difficult for Nigeria, who have already conceded five goals in the tournament.
The two nations are also familiar with each other, having faced off twice in friendly matches shortly before the WAFCON. Cameroon won the first meeting before Nigeria responded with victory in the second.
However, Madugu believes those results will have little bearing on Sunday’s tie, saying, The last time we played against them, we lost against them in the first leg. Then we beat them in the second leg. So it’s not something that we will use the last result to judge and say, no, because we have beaten them in the past.”
World Cup history adds extra motivation
Madugu knows the stakes extend beyond reaching another WAFCON semi-final.
Victory against Cameroon would automatically secure Nigeria’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, allowing the Super Falcons to maintain their remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the competition since its inaugural tournament in 1991.
The coach is therefore expecting his players to approach the Peninsula derby with the seriousness it deserves, concluding, “We know what it means, and we will be ready for it.”
For a team chasing an 11th African title, there is little room for another defensive lapse. But with their World Cup tradition, continental pedigree and a semi-final place all on the line, the Super Falcons have every reason to believe they can rise to the occasion.