WAFCON 2026: Super Falcons, three others fight for World Cup tickets via play-offs

The Super Falcons of Nigeria and the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon will face off on Sunday for a spot in the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which would also secure an automatic ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The quarter-final match will take place at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca at 6pm Nigeria time.

The victor will advance to the semi-finals and secure their place in Brazil, while the defeated team will have to go through the African play-off route to reach the World Cup. As the defending champions and 10-time WAFCON winners, Nigeria has had a challenging journey through the group stage, losing their first match 3-2 to debutants Malawi but bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Zambia.

After securing their best performance in the group stage, Nigeria finished second in Group C. Cameroon, on the other hand, topped Group D with an unbeaten record, starting their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Mali, followed by a 1-0 win against Ghana and a 1-1 draw with debutants Cape Verde. The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2022 WAFCON quarter-finals, where Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade scored the winning goal.

Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu emphasized that the team's primary goal remained qualification for the World Cup and retaining their continental title. The Lionesses, who have not reached the WAFCON semi-finals since 2016 and missed the 2024 tournament, see Sunday's match as a crucial opportunity to revive their continental fortunes.