Super Falcons Face Cameroon In High-Stakes WAFCON Clash For Brazil 2027 Ticket

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will battle arch-rivals Cameroon in a high-stakes quarter-final clash at the 14th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca on Sunday, with a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil at stake.

The defending champions will be aiming to overcome the Indomitable Lionesses and secure their ticket to next year’s global showpiece, while also keeping their bid to retain the continental title on course.

The encounter brings back memories of the 2022 WAFCON, when Nigeria edged Cameroon 1-0 in the quarter-finals to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Rasheedat Ajibade scored the decisive second-half header to settle the fiercely contested encounter.

Cameroon have, however, endured a difficult record against Nigeria at the WAFCON, dating back to the inaugural edition hosted by Nigeria in 1998, when the Lionesses suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat in Kaduna.

The Super Falcons also defeated Cameroon in the 2014 and 2016 WAFCON finals. In Windhoek in 2014, Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala scored in a 2-0 Nigerian victory, while Oparanozie struck late to secure a 1-0 win when Cameroon hosted the tournament two years later in Yaoundé.

Nigeria again got the better of Cameroon in a two-match friendly series in Yaoundé earlier this year. The Lionesses claimed a 1-0 victory in the opening encounter before the Falcons responded with a 3-1 win in the second match, with Chinwendu Ihezuo, Rinsola Babajide and Michelle Alozie finding the net.

Last year, Nigeria also defeated Cameroon 2-0 in a friendly at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta during preparations for their successful Mission X campaign.

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu could retain much of the side that demolished Egypt 6-0 in their final Group C fixture in Rabat on Wednesday.

Veteran forward Asisat Oshoala is also in contention to start after producing a series of important performances in Morocco. She scored the decisive goal in Nigeria’s victory over Zambia before converting from the spot against Egypt. Oshoala had also scored twice during the Falcons’ two friendly victories over Senegal in Ikenne-Remo ahead of the tournament.

Madugu will also welcome back defender Tosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini, who missed the Egypt match through suspension.

The coach insists Nigeria’s objectives remain unchanged.

“Our objective remains picking the World Cup ticket and then going ahead to retain the trophy. Nothing has changed,” Madugu said.

Sunday’s quarter-final is scheduled for 6pm at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, a familiar venue for the Super Falcons, who played several of their matches there during last year’s successful Mission X campaign.

With a World Cup place and a WAFCON semi-final berth both within reach, the latest chapter in the long-running Nigeria-Cameroon rivalry promises another fiercely contested encounter.