- It’s fire and fury with cup glory on the edge for Super Falcons
In an ultimate fight for survival, it is Redemption Day for Super Falcons of Nigeria as they confront the Copper Queens of Zambia in their second Group C match at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations inside the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat today, Saturday, 1st August 2026
Both teams experienced contrasting fortunes on their opening match day, with Nigeria suffering an embarrassing 3-2 loss to debutants Malawi while the Zambians whitewashed their Egyptian counterparts in a 6-0 victory.
Indeed, this is a make or mar clash in which a defeat would see Nigeria losing successive WAFCON group games for the first time ever and also suffering successive WAFCON defeats in open play for only the second time in the tournament’s history. In 2012, they lost 1-0 to South Africa in the semi-finals and by the same score to Cameroon in the third-place play-off.
For Nigerian football fans, anxiety is already running high because another slip, combined with a Malawi victory over Egypt, would eliminate the defending champions at the group stage for the first time, while conferring on the Super Falcons the unwanted honours of also becoming the first cup holder to be eliminated in the group stage.
Also, should Nigeria fail to win, it will be only the second time they have begun a WAFCON campaign without victory in either of their opening two games. In 2008, they started with successive draws against Ghana and Tunisia. However, Nigeria’s opening defeats to South Africa in 2018 and 2022 were followed by victories against Zambia and Botswana respectively.
Match Facts
This match, which kicks-off at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT), will be the fifth time the two teams are meeting the WAFCON and their third group-stage encounter in the continental competition.
Available records indicate they are meeting at a third successive edition of the finals, with Nigeria winning three of their previous four meetings, while the Zambians claimed one victory in the process.
Previously, both countries met in 2014, 2018, 2022 and at the last edition. Nigeria won the first two encounters, both group games, by scores of 6-0 and 4-0 respectively, while Zambia defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the third-place play-off in 2022.
Interestingly, their most recent meeting saw the Super Falcons emerging 5-0 winners in the quarter-finals at the last edition. Leading 3-0 at half-time through goals from Osinachi Ohale in the second minute, Esther Okoronkwo in the 33rd and Chinwendu Ihezuo in the 45th, Nigeria had Oluwatosin Demehin adding Nigeria’s fourth goal in the 68th minute before Folashade Ijamilusi completed the routing in second-half stoppage time.
Statistics from their previous meetings showed that Nigeria have outscored Zambia 15-1 across their previous four encounters, even as no Zambian player has ever scored in a WAFCON match against the Super Falcons.
Zambia’s only goal, in the 2022 third-place play-off, was an own goal by Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie after Evarine Katongo’s initial 29th-minute effort struck the upright.
In each of their previous four matches, only the winning team has scored and there has yet to be a WAFCON encounter between them that both countries have scored. – With CAFonline.com report
