WAFCON 2026: Key reason Super Falcons preparatory friendly against Ghana was cancelled

The Super Falcon’s planned international friendly against Ghana’s Black Queens has been cancelled just days before the start of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Afrik Foot reports.

The Super Falcons were initially scheduled to face their West African rivals in Casablanca on Saturday in what would have been their final warm-up fixture before the continental tournament in Morocco.

However, the Nigerian Football Federation confirmed that the match would no longer take place due to “unforeseen circumstances”, without providing further details.

The friendly match between the 🇳🇬Super Falcons and the 🇬🇭Black Queens planned for Saturday, 18 July 2026 in Casablanca is off, due to unforeseen circumstances.#TheQueens pic.twitter.com/Wu1hRvA2n0

— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) July 17, 2026

Ghana fixture called off as Tanzania step in

While the cancellation came as a surprise, Nigeria have moved quickly to avoid losing a crucial preparatory fixture.

The Super Falcons are now set to face Tanzania’s Twiga Stars in Casablanca on Sunday.

Tanzania will also use the encounter as part of their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on July 26 in Morocco.

The late change means Nigeria will still have an opportunity to test tactical combinations and assess player fitness before the start of the tournament.

Although Ghana would have provided a sterner challenge due to their status as one of Africa’s traditional powerhouses, Tanzania still offer valuable opposition ahead of the competition.

Final opportunity for Madugu to fine-tune his squad before WAFCON 2026

Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu recently admitted that his side still has several areas requiring improvement despite winning the previous edition of the tournament.

“We are not a perfect team yet,” the one-time Ballon d’Or nominee said to CAF Online.

“We have made a lot of observations in the course of the pre-WAFCON matches we played and even during the WAFCON itself.

“We have analysed many areas that we know we need to work on.”

The Tanzania fixture could therefore prove important for the technical crew as they seek to make final decisions regarding team selection and tactical adjustments.

Super Falcons’ focus shifts entirely to Morocco

Nigeria head into the tournament aiming to win a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title.

The Super Falcons have been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia and Egypt, with all their group games scheduled to take place in Rabat.

Their title defence begins against Malawi on July 28 before further clashes against Zambia and Egypt.

With the Ghana fixture now cancelled, attention has quickly shifted towards the Tanzania encounter and, ultimately, the challenge awaiting in Morocco as Nigeria pursues another continental crown and qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.