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Nigeria must beat Egypt to strengthen their chances of reaching the WAFCON 2026 quarter-finals after an inconsistent start to the tournament.
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The Super Falcons head into the decisive clash without suspended duo Tosin Demehin and Jennifer Echegini, forcing coach Justin Madugu into key selection decisions.
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A convincing victory would not only boost Nigeria’s confidence but also signal to rivals that the record African champions remain serious title contenders.
August 5, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s Super Falcons face one of their most important Women’s Africa Cup of Nations group-stage matches in recent history when they take on Egypt, with qualification for the quarter-finals still hanging in the balance.
Unlike previous editions of the tournament, where Nigeria often sealed a knockout berth after just two matches, the 10-time African champions head into their final Group C fixture needing a positive result to keep their title hopes alive.
Following an opening defeat to Malawi, the Super Falcons responded impressively by defeating Zambia in their second outing, reviving their campaign. However, because of CAF’s head-to-head tiebreak regulations, Nigeria’s progression is no longer entirely in their own hands.
A victory over Egypt would place the Super Falcons in a strong position to advance, provided Zambia do not produce a high-scoring one-goal victory that would create a three-way tie on points and goal difference.
Head coach Justin Madugu believes his side have already shown signs of improvement after learning painful lessons from their opening setback.
The Nigerian coach admitted that several tactical errors contributed to the disappointing defeat against Malawi, but said adjustments made before facing Zambia produced a much stronger performance.
Against Zambia, Nigeria abandoned the risky high defensive line, restored balance in defence and adopted a more direct attacking approach with veteran striker Asisat Oshoala leading the line.
The Super Falcons also displayed far greater aggression, winning key duels and showing the fighting spirit expected from Africa’s most successful women’s national team.
Madugu, however, insists there is still room for improvement.
Despite securing victory over Zambia, he acknowledged that his players still made mistakes and stressed that further corrections would be necessary ahead of the crucial clash with Egypt.
Nigeria will also have to cope without two important players.
Defender Tosin Demehin serves a suspension after receiving a straight red card against Zambia, while midfielder Jennifer Echegini is also unavailable after accumulating two yellow cards.
Their absence leaves Madugu with important tactical decisions. Shukurat Oladipo could replace Demehin in central defence, while experienced midfielder Halimatu Ayinde, Toni Payne or Esther Okoronkwo are among the options to fill the midfield vacancy created by Echegini’s suspension.
The Super Falcons have repeatedly shown their ability to overcome adversity at major tournaments.
They famously battled with nine players against Morocco at WAFCON 2022 before narrowly losing on penalties, while they also held on to defeat Zambia despite playing with 10 players for more than an hour in their previous match.
That resilience will once again be tested against an Egyptian side already eliminated from the tournament.
Although Egypt have lost both of their matches, they recovered from a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Zambia by producing a more competitive display against Malawi, suggesting they remain capable of causing problems despite having nothing left to play
For Nigeria, the objective extends beyond simply securing qualification.
The Super Falcons are under pressure to rediscover the attacking football that has defined their dominance of women’s football in Africa.
Their performances so far have lacked the fluency and excitement fans have come to expect, with the opening defeat exposing defensive weaknesses and the victory over Zambia built more on discipline than attacking brilliance.
A convincing win over Egypt would not only secure valuable momentum heading into the knockout rounds but also restore belief among supporters and send a strong warning to the remaining contenders that Africa’s most successful women’s national team remains capable of challenging for another continental title.
