Nigeria: WAFCON 2026 worries grow as Super Falcons lose key preparation games

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Nigeria: WAFCON 2026 worries grow as Super Falcons lose key preparation games
Super Falcons.

Nigeria’s women’s national team, the Super Falcons, have suffered a major setback in their build-up to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Afrik-Foot reports.

This development comes after the reigning continental champions’ planned four-nation warm-up tournament was called off.

The competition, which was meant to include Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast, would have given the Super Falcons valuable match time ahead of the continental championship.

Instead, organisational problems forced the hosts to cancel the event, according to Savid News. The cancellation leaves Nigeria without the competitive games many players and coaches were counting on.


This comes at a sensitive moment. The Falcons are Africa’s most successful women’s team and are hoping to defend their crown at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco. The tournament will also double as a qualification route to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the top four teams earning automatic tickets.

Nigeria have never failed to reach the World Cup and are keen to keep that proud record alive. But without top warm-up matches, fears are growing that the team may arrive in Morocco short of sharpness, especially with strong rivals like South Africa and Zambia improving rapidly.

WAFCON 2025: Super Falcons roar back from the brink to complete ‘Mission X’
Super Falcons. Copyright: CAF/X

Super Falcons: Long spell without games

The cancellation has added to frustration already felt within the squad.

Since a qualifying match against Benin last year, the Falcons have not gathered for any competitive fixture. During one of the FIFA international windows, several players even voiced their concerns online, complaining about inactivity and lack of proper planning.

Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s football was underlined once again as Rasheedat Ajibade and Esther Okoronkwo both earned nominations for the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award. It is no surprise that the Super Falcons feature prominently in this year’s roll of honour, their triumph at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations reaffirmed the team’s long-standing pedigree on the continent. The nominations, announced by CAF on Friday, see two of Nigeria’s brightest stars standing shoulder to shoulder with the continent’s finest. From the Zambian pair of Barbara Banda and Racheal Kundananji, to Malawi’s prolific sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, and Morocco’s duo Sanaa Mssoudy and Ghizlane Chebbak, the list is as competitive as it is reflective of how far the women’s game has grown across Africa. Portia Boakye of Ghana and Mame Diop of Senegal complete the top ten. But for Nigeria, the big story lies in having two of their own leading the chase for Africa’s most prestigious individual prize, a sign not just of quality, but of continuity. The Falcons’ spine, forged in belief and experience, continues to define African football’s conversation around excellence and identity. Ajibade vs Okoronkwo: Which Super Falcons star deserves the gold? Ajibade, Nigeria’s captain and creative heartbeat, remains the clear favourite. Her drive, discipline, and capacity to carry the team through tense moments at WAFCON were immense. She was named Player of the Tournament and won Woman of the Match in three of Nigeria’s six games, the kind of consistency that sways voters when the debate turns tight. She’s grown into a true leader, not just through words but through relentless performance. Yet, to focus solely on Ajibade’s numbers would be to overlook what Esther Okoronkwo brought to that team. Her introduction to the side transformed Nigeria’s attacking shape. Two goals and four assists tell part of the story; her movement, link-up play, and sheer unpredictability told the rest. Without her inventiveness, Nigeria’s “Mission X” that symbolic chase for a tenth continental crown might well have fallen flat before it began. Okoronkwo has carried that energy into her club form too, showing sharpness and maturity beyond her years. If Ajibade embodies structure and authority, Okoronkwo brings flair and daring, the kind that unsettles defenders and makes football worth watching. It’s a fascinating contrast: maverick brilliance versus tireless consistency. If numbers ever told a story, this one is quite revealing. Across club and country in the 2024/25 season, Okoronkwo has been involved in 28 goals from 24 appearances, ten strikes and eighteen assists. Those are not just creative numbers; they are transformational. They show a player who makes others better, one whose influence extends beyond the scoresheet into how Nigeria and her club approach the final third. By contrast, Ajibade, combining duties for Atlético Madrid and the Super Falcons, featured 32 times, scoring ten goals and supplying five assists. Her contribution is still immense, particularly given her wider responsibilities as captain, leading from the front, setting the tempo, and enforcing standards within a team that demands excellence at all times. The numbers underline the central argument: Ajibade’s consistency and leadership keep Nigeria steady, but Okoronkwo’s creativity and efficiency give them their spark. One commands, the other compels and in a year where both have carried the flag with distinction, the debate over who deserves Africa’s crown could not be more finely balanced. The edge definitely goes to Okoronkwo, not because Ajibade hasn’t earned her plaudits, but because it was the former’s imagination that turned Nigeria’s campaign from organised efficiency into something more compelling.
Photo by IMAGO

These long breaks and absence of preparatory matches could hurt team spirit and match fitness when the WAFCON kicks off. There are also wider issues, such as poor scheduling and limited support for the women’s game, despite the Falcons’ long history of success.

Reports suggest the football authorities are trying to arrange friendly matches to make up for the lost tournament. However, with the championship drawing closer, time is running out.

Super Falcons, African champions, received by President Tinubu
Nigeria’s Super Falcons. Copyright: NFF Media

WAFCON 2026 is scheduled to begin on March 17 and run through to April 3, with 16 teams – the largest in history – having already confirmed their participation.

Nigeria’s Falcons have been drawn in Group C alongside Egypt, Zambia and Malawi. The Falcons’ first match is against Malawi’s She-Flames on March 18 at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

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Imhonlamhen

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