WAFCON 2026: what the Super Falcons' quarter-final exit should change

The Super Falcons are the most successful team in the history of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. That is exactly why the 2026 tournament in Morocco hurt so much. A 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon in Casablanca on 9 August meant Nigeria missed the semi-finals for the first time in the competition's 14 editions.

It was a tournament of extremes: a shock defeat, a gritty win with ten players, a six-goal performance and then a narrow exit. Here is the full picture, and what it should mean for the next squad.

Game by game

Malawi 3-2 Nigeria

Nobody expected this one. Malawi, playing at their first WAFCON, were level with the champions until the 73rd minute, when Temwa Chawinga scored. Her sister Tabitha made it 2-0 six minutes later. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade pulled one back from the penalty spot in stoppage time, Temwa scored again, and Uchenna Kanu's goal came too late to matter. Asisat Oshoala apologised to Nigerians after the game.

Nigeria 1-0 Zambia

With the group already in danger, Oshoala scored in the eighth minute. Then Tosin Demehin was sent off in the first half, and Nigeria had to defend a one-goal lead with ten players for most of the match. They did. It was the most Super Falcons performance of the tournament: stubborn, physical and enough.

Nigeria 6-2 Egypt

The final group game was the release. Oshoala scored a penalty, Gift Monday and Uchenna Kanu added goals set up by Rinsola Babajide, and Christy Ucheibe and Ajibade converted penalties before Joy Omewa finished it off. Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia all finished on six points, with Malawi topping the group on head-to-head.

Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria

The quarter-final against Cameroon was tight and tense, settled by a single goal from Myriam Nyadjou at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium. Nigeria did not find a way back.

What went wrong

The Malawi result set the tone. Losing an opening game to a debutant put the team in survival mode for the rest of the group, and the Zambia win, admirable as it was, came with a red card that made it harder still. Even after the Egypt game, Nigeria had to wait on head-to-head to know where they stood.

There was also noise around selection before a ball was kicked. Ashleigh Plumptre missed the tournament after setbacks from foot surgery, and both she and the Nigeria Football Federation had to deny viral claims about how the squad was picked. Distractions like that do not lose matches on their own, but they do not help.

The bigger issue is control. Nigeria scored nine goals in four games, so this was not a team without attacking quality. But they conceded five in the group, three of them to a debutant, and could not break down Cameroon when it mattered. The best Super Falcons teams of the past controlled tournaments. This one survived them until it could not.

What should change

Coach Justin Madugu defended his approach after the Malawi defeat, and it is fair to say his team responded. The question now is whether the squad is being refreshed fast enough and whether the team has a clear way of playing when it is not ahead.

• Give younger players real minutes in friendlies, not just call-ups.
• Build a midfield that keeps the ball under pressure, so leads are protected by possession rather than by defending deep.
• Settle selection early and communicate it clearly, so the conversation before the next tournament is about football.

There is talent to build with. Toni Payne has joined Inter Milan. Christy Ucheibe has made a strong start in Saudi Arabia and scored at this tournament. Ajibade, Kanu and Babajide all contributed goals or assists in Morocco.

We will follow the next Super Falcons squad closely in Naija Football. For another Nigerian team in a rebuild, read our piece on D'Tigress after Berlin.