WAFCON 2026: Super Falcons drawn with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have been drawn into Group C of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi following Thursday’s final draw in Rabat, Morocco.

The expanded 16-team tournament the largest in the competition’s history will run from 17 March to 3 April 2026 across multiple Moroccan cities, including Casablanca, where Group C matches are set to take place.

Defending champions Nigeria, who clinched their 10th WAFCON title in 2025, are set to face familiar foes in Zambia’s Copper Queens, a team they demolished 5–0 in the quarter-finals of the previous edition.

Also in the group is Egypt, a regular finalist participant, and Malawi, making their first appearance at a WAFCON finals following historic qualification.

The draw sets up a competitive group for the Super Falcons as they start their campaign to defend their crown and aim for an unprecedented 11th continental title, with the tournament also serving as part of Africa’s qualification pathway for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

EDITORIAL

In the eloquent theatre of African football, Thursday’s WAFCON 2026 draw offered more than just names and fixtures it set the stage for narratives that will define the contours of women’s game on the continent. For the Super Falcons, drawn into Group C with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi, the path ahead is rich with both anticipation and nuance.

This is a group that, on paper, marries familiarity with fresh intrigue. Zambia, ever the fierce Copper Queens, come into the draw bearing the scars and lessons of heavy defeat a 5–0 thrashing at the hands of Nigeria in the previous tournament but also that combustible potential that can unsettle even the most assured champions. To treat them lightly would betray the very essence of competitive instinct.

Egypt’s presence adds an element of tactical subtlety. Not traditionally counted among the heavyweights, they represent a team whose discipline and developing talent may yet rewrite expectations. And then there is Malawi — debutants whose very inclusion speaks to the evolution of WAFCON’s expanded format, offering the Falcons opponents hungry not just for participation but for statement.

For Nigeria, the draw is both a challenge and a reminder of legacy. As holders of a record ten titles, and chasing an 11th, they must balance history with humility confidence with observation. Football at this level is rarely linear. Momentum shifts on the merest of tactical adjustments, or a single moment of individual brilliance. In Casablanca, under the North African sun, the Super Falcons’ campaign will be as much about mental fortitude as it is about skill.

To navigate this group successfully will require adaptation and acute awareness. Yet for a team whose spirit has weathered both triumph and adversity, the greater narrative is clear African women’s football continues to deepen in complexity and competition and the Super Falcons remain its prime protagonists.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. WAFCON 2026 is the first edition to feature 16 teams, expanded from 12 to allow deeper continental representation and greater competitive opportunity.
2. Malawi will make its debut at the WAFCON finals after securing historic qualification, marking a milestone for the nation in women’s football.
3. The top four teams at WAFCON 2026 will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with others contesting further play-offs.
4. Group C matches are scheduled to be played at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, one of Morocco’s key football venues.
5. Nigeria’s 5–0 win over Zambia at the last WAFCON (2025 quarter-finals) was one of the most dominant performances in the tournament’s recent history.