Super Falcons: 5 tactical tweaks that led to Nigeria’s 6-2 win over Egypt

The Super Falcons of Nigeria qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (2026 WAFCON) on Wednesday after defeating Egypt 6-2, Afrik-Foot reports.

​Nigeria went into that game knowing that a sound victory would see them through to the next round, and they turned up.

There were six different goalscorers for Nigeria on the night — Asisat Oshoala, Gift Monday, Uchenna Kanu, Christy Ucheibe, Rasheedat Ajibade, and Joy Omewa — who ensured that Nadine Ghazi’s brace was a mere consolation.

🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇪🇬 2-6 🇳🇬

Six goals see Nigeria cruise past Egypt.#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/3t1ahWuk7S

— CAF Women Football (@CAFwomen) August 6, 2026

​Although it must be said that Egypt are minnows, it was still an impressive performance from Nigeria. In this article, we look at five tactical tweaks that led to the win.

​1. Tweaking Alozie’s Position & Starting Oladipo

​One thing that coach Justine Madugu has been heavily criticized for during his reign as Super Falcons coach is his habit of changing some players’ natural positions, but it yields dividends more often than not.

​Yesterday, he chose to start Shukurat Oladipo in her preferred right-back position and deployed Michelle Alozie at left-back, which was strange. Both players eventually produced brilliant performances for Nigeria and were key to the win.

​Oladipo was solid at the back, while Alozie was a constant threat in attack. She always guarantees energy and work rate wherever she plays, and that was clear on the night. She would eventually win a penalty for the Super Falcons.

​The penalty she cause was controversial, as it seemed to be a poor decision by both the referee and VAR. She did have a few defensive lapses, but overall, it was a very good game for her.

​2. Total Attacking Intent

​The Super Falcons knew that they needed to win that game, and it was clear just by the way they played. It was all-out attack from the first minute to the last.

​They hardly gave the Egyptians any breathing space, as they pressed hard and were physical from the outset. All the players were in on it, and that was key to the victory.

​3. Stretching The Play

​Woman for woman, the Super Falcons are better than Egypt. So, it was important to create isolated 1v1 situations for the forwards, and that was where Rinsola Babajide shone brightly. It was her first start of the competition, and it was a brilliant call.

​She was a terror on the left wing and left her markers for dead on multiple occasions. It is no surprise that she finished the match with two assists.

​Oladipo was also constantly overlapping on the right and spraying crosses that troubled the Cleopatras.

​4. Set-Piece Success For The Super Falcons

​The Super Falcons’ second goal came from a clever corner routine. Instead of playing the ball directly into the box, Toni Payne played it short to Babajide, who dribbled past her marker with ease, drove into the box, and sent a low cross into the area which Gift Monday calmly converted.

​That move shows that Nigeria has variation in their play and actually work on different scenarios in their training sessions. It also shows that the coaching staff are in tune with modern trends of utilizing set-pieces to influence games.

​Going into the next round, more of that will be expected from the ten-time African champions.

​5. Madugu’s Substitutes Deliver

​Coach Justin Madugu made three substitutions on the night, and all three substitutes scored. That was simply brilliant.

​Monday finished the Babajide set-piece play with what was her very first touch of the game. Kanu scored one minute after coming on, and Joy Omewa concluded the scoring 12 minutes after entering the pitch.

​You don’t get to see this every day, so full credit to Madugu for making those impactful calls.