Super Falcons Step Up WAFCON Preparations with Friendly Against Ghana

Defending champions Nigeria will continue their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a high-profile friendly against Ghana’s Black Queens on Saturday in Casablanca, Morocco.

The Super Falcons opened their training camp in Casablanca on Monday as they intensified preparations for the continental tournament, which gets underway on Sunday.

Nigeria will begin their Group C campaign against Malawi in Rabat on July 28.

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By Tuesday afternoon, 10 players had arrived at the team’s base, while midfielder Toni Payne was expected to join the squad on Wednesday following her recent transfer to Inter Milan Women from Everton.

Head coach Justine Madugu led the team through their first training session on Tuesday at Stade El Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca as preparations gathered momentum.

Among the players already in camp are captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ucheibe, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran, midfielder Jennifer Echegini, and veteran forward Asisat Oshoala.

Saturday’s warm-up match against Ghana will also be played at Stade El Arbi Zaouli, with kick-off scheduled for 4 p.m.

The fixture revives one of African women’s football’s biggest rivalries, with Nigeria having defeated Ghana in the final of the inaugural Women’s AFCON, hosted by Nigeria in 1998.

Following the friendly, the Super Falcons will shift focus to their Group C fixtures, starting with Malawi on July 28 before facing Zambia on August 1 and Egypt on August 5.

The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The four semi-finalists will secure automatic qualification, while the fifth-placed team will earn a place in the intercontinental playoffs.

2026 Women’s AFCON Groups

Group A (Rabat): Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya

Group B (Casablanca): South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tanzania

Group C (Rabat): Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi

Group D (Casablanca): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde

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