‘Evri kontri wan beat Nigeria’ – Super Falcons dey go for dia 11th Wafcon title
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- Author,Emmanuel Akindubuwa
- Role,BBC Sport Africa, Lagos
- Published26 minutes wey don pass
- Read am in 5 mins
Nigeria don arrive Morocco for di 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) and dem carry a familiar burden of expectation.
Afta dem claim a record-extending 10th title for di North African kingdom last July – a campaign dem bin tag “Mission X” – di Super Falcons remain di focus for African women’s football.
Di challenge now na to retain dia crown, sometin dem last manage for 2018, di result of a hat-trick of titles.
“Now wey we be di champions, evri oda team go wan draw you down,” na so head coach Justin Madugu, wey ginger last year title charge wey end for 3-2 victory over di hosts, tell BBC Sport Africa
“E no go dey easy. We dey quite aware of dat and we go dey fully ready.”
Nigeria begin against first timers Malawi on Tuesday bifor also facing Zambia and Egypt for Group C.
“Evri kontri wan beat Nigeria,” assistant coach Ann Chiejine, a four-time Wafcon winner as a player tok.
“Dat na why we must up our game by making sure say we train harder.”
Di squad get some of di most popular names for African football.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, na best player for last year tournament, Chiamaka Nnadozie, di current African goalkeeper of di year, and six-time African player of di year Asisat Oshoala go provide experience and leadership.
But Madugu don also choose to add a number of young players, including striker Joy Omewa, wey dey play her club football for Sweden and observe last year Wafcon victory from far.
“Di last one bin really dey exciting to watch. All di games bin really dey good.
“I tink dis year e go even dey bigger.”
‘No dey under any pressure’
Nigeria na one of only three nations to lift di Wafcon trophy.
Dia dominance na one wey be say dem don claim 10 of di 13 titles dating back to 1998, with only Equatorial Guinea (2008 and 2012) and South Africa (2022) able to break dia stranglehold.
Dis time around dem dey face greater competition, if only by weight of numbers after di tournament bin dey expanded from 12 to 16 teams.
Also more dey at stake becos Wafcon dey double as a qualifying competition for next year Fifa Women’s World Cup for Brazil, wit di four semi-finalists all guaranteed a place in Brazil.
“Our first target na to qualify for di World Cup. Afta dat we fit tink of defending our title,” winger Francisca Ordega tell BBC Sport Africa.
“We no dey under any kind of pressure. We fit hold our own against any team across Africa.”
Nigeria don represent di continent for all nine World Cups since dem hold di first for China for 1991.
For 2023, a record four nations travel go Australia and New Zealand, wit di West Africans joined by South Africa and debutants Morocco and Zambia.
“We don come of age,” Cheijine tok wen discussing improvements for di African game.
“If dem now beat us for penalty shootout, or 1-0, 2-0, e mean say di graph dey rise.”
For Morocco, Cape Verde and Malawi na di two kontris wey dey make dia maiden Wafcon appearances.
Malawi fit dey ranked 153rd in di world, compared to Nigeria in 36th, but di Scorchers dey boast of attack wey odas dey fear sake of proven pedigree in di form of di Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa.
Older sister Tabitha bin score di goals wey fire Lyon to a fifth consecutive league title for France last season.
Temwa, meanwhile, don win di National Women’s Soccer League golden boot and MVP awards for both of her two full seasons with Kansas City Current.
Nigeria go also gatz be on dia guard against Zambia experienced strike force of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, as both of dem don also play for di USA.
“You no wan undermine or underestimate wetin anybody fit do, Madugu tok on di eve of di team opening fixture, as Ajibade give caution say Malawi qualification dey show “di progress dem dey make”.
A blend of youth and experience
While previous Wafcons don see Nigeria preparation time limited, Madugu and im staff don get di luxury of multiple friendlies to run di rule over di current squad.
A double-header against Cameroon for di early months of di year bin dey followed by two warm-up matches against Senegal for June and a victory over Tanzania last week.
Twenty-one-year-old goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor, di backup to Nnadozie, dey among di fresh faces wey Madugu bring.
Born in di Netherlands and raised in England, she make her debut against Cameroon.
“Di trust im [Madugu] put in us young players na sometin I respect a lot,” she tok.
“I no expect to get along so quickly and so well with di team. But dem receive me with open arms.”
Erhabor currently dey play for di third tier of English football for Portsmouth, a city just over one hour drive along di south coast to Brighton, wey be wia Nnadozie dey ply her trade.
Describing Nigeria number one like “a big sister” wey she dey hang out with, she say na “no brainer” wen e come to choosing her <a href="https://absafricatv9491.live-website.com/chad-announces-intent-to-withdraw-from-the-international-criminal-court/” title=”Chad announces intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court”>international allegiance.
“E dey my blood, so I feel like no greater honour dey dan to represent my roots, make my parents proud as well.
“I love di culture, and one big tin for me na how open evri one hia dey with Christianity and religion, becos I feel say dat wan go allow me to come into di team, faith-based, and express myself.”
As Madugu dey search for a heavenly blend of youth and experience, Omewa describe di stellar names she now dey train alongside as “golden”, as opposed to older.
“Without dem we no go dey hia today.
“Wit dem coming into di team, teaching us how to do am, we dey learn from dose pipo.”
Fellow striker Oshoala, wey also dey chase her fifth Wafcon title, na one of dose Omewa dey thankful to.
“She na remarkable pesin. She be pesin you fit tok to, share experiences wit and she go tell you tins she don go through.
“I tink she really be a good mentor.”
Nigeria no get all of dia stars available, with centre-back Ashleigh Plumptre, a central figure for last year Wafcon campaign, out with a foot injury.
Di squad don also dey unsettled after falling victim to thefts afta landing in Morocco, with forward Esther Okoronkwo, player of di match for last year final, reportedly losing hundreds of dollars.
Wen e come to prize money, di pot for dis year tournament dey doubled, with di winners picking up $2m (£1.5m) – an increase wey dey indicative of di continued growth for African women’s football.
But despite di increasing level of competition, Nigeria remain di team to beat.
