Following their shock 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will be aiming to bounce back when they face Zambia, who thrashed Egypt 6-0 in their opening Group C match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The Super Falcons must beat the Copper Queens to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. Although Nigeria eliminated Zambia with a 5-0 quarterfinal victory at the previous edition, head coach Justin Madugu insists his side will not rely on past results.
“Last year is last year. That is history. We have a new game. We’ve a new competition, or another competition, that we are participating in. We are not using the result of last year to make our assessment,” Madugu told a press conference in Rabat.
He continued: “We are looking at currently what is the Zambian team doing? What is their current status? Of course, we are well aware that their confidence will be boosted by the victory over Egypt just as we too are paying for the defeat of the last game.”
“So we will not also want to approach the game in the manner that we look defeated. We are coming out also to ensure that we get the result that we want.
“Any game you play, your ultimate goal is you want to win. So we are also coming out to the game because we know what is at stake. It’s an outright win or nothing for us. So we’re not taking it for granted by any means.”
Victory for Zambia would secure a place in the quarterfinals with one group match to spare ahead of their final Group C fixture against Malawi. For Nigeria, another defeat would result in a historic first-ever group-stage exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
