Twenty-four Super Falcons players are now assembled in Yaoundé for back-to-back friendlies against Cameroon, with defending champions Nigeria using the double-header as their final dress rehearsal before WAFCON 2026.
Camp Builds Ahead of Saturday’s First Clash
The Super Falcons’ preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations took a significant step forward on Thursday night when goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defenders Michelle Alozie and Osinachi Ohale, and forward Chiwendu Ihezuo all arrived in Yaoundé to boost the squad. As reported by FootballInNigeria.com.ng, the camp now numbers 24 players, with the late arrivals expected to slot straight into training.
Two more players, midfielder Halimat Ayinde and forward Chidinma Okeke, were expected to complete the group on Friday. Head coach Justine Madugu named 25 players in his original squad, meaning the bulk of his first-choice selection is already on the ground ahead of the first friendly at the Military Stadium, Yaoundé, on Saturday, 28 February. The second match follows on Tuesday, 3 March.
The squad kicked off preparations earlier this week with an opening training session at the Stade Omnisport Ahmadu Ahidjo annex. The early training was important. With only days to go before the first ball is kicked, Madugu needs his players sharp, organised, and locked into his game plan.
Why These Games Matter More Than They Look
On paper, these are just friendlies. In practice, they’re the last meaningful preparation Nigeria gets before defending its continental crown in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April 2026. The stakes couldn’t be higher for a team trying to become back-to-back WAFCON champions.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt, and debutants Malawi. Their first match in the tournament is against Malawi on 18 March in Casablanca. While Malawi looks like the easier opener on paper, African football doesn’t reward complacency. And Zambia, in particular, has grown into a serious continental force.
Cameroon, meanwhile, is in Group D with Ghana, Mali, and Cape Verde. They open against Mali on 18 March in Fes. The Indomitable Lionesses were runners-up at WAFCON 2016 and are no strangers to big occasions. These friendlies pit two serious African women’s football nations against each other. Nigeria will learn a lot from the next few days.
“People shouldn’t make noise because I dropped Oshoala. I have a chance to evaluate other players, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Justine Madugu, Super Falcons Head Coach
The Oshoala Question Hanging Over the Squad
The most talked-about name isn’t in Yaoundé. Asisat Oshoala, Nigeria’s all-time leading scorer and a six-time African Women Player of the Year, was left out of the 25-player squad entirely. Madugu was direct about his reasoning: he wants to use these games to look at other options before settling on his final WAFCON roster.
That’s a bold call. Oshoala is 31 and not at the peak of her career, but she remains one of the most experienced and technically gifted forwards on the continent. Her absence from a pre-tournament camp naturally raises questions about whether she’ll make the final squad for Morocco. The coach says, “Don’t make noise.” Fans will decide that for themselves after watching whoever steps up in her place over the next few days.
What it does do is create opportunity. Gift Monday and Chiwendu Ihezuo are two of the forwards who now have a clear chance to show what they can offer at the highest level. Monday, who returned to the squad alongside the Canada-based Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene, will be eager to cement her place in Madugu’s plans. [International football matches like these qualify for Bet9ja’s enhanced accumulator bonuses, making Super Falcons fixtures prime betting territory for those tracking Nigeria’s WAFCON journey.]
Full Squad in Camp (24 Players)
Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene
Comfort Erhabor
Fatima Oloko
Glory Ogbonna
Oluwatosin Demehin
Shukurat Oladipo
Kafayat Shittu
Christy Ucheibe
Esther Onyenezide
Precious Christopher
Jennifer Echegini
Gift Monday
Joy Omewa
Favour Nkwocha
Folashade Ijamilusi
Rinsola Babajide
Shakirat Isah
Chiamaka Nnadozie
Michelle Alozie
Osinachi Ohale
Chiwendu Ihezuo
Halimat Ayinde*
Chidinma Okeke*
*Expected Friday
Analysis: Is This Enough Preparation for a Title Defence?
Two friendlies against a neighbouring nation are a lean preparation for a continental title defence. Compare it to what Morocco, as hosts, have had: months of internal warm-up games, full training camps, and the psychological edge of playing on home soil from day one. Nigeria’s preparation has been shorter and more hurried.
That said, the Super Falcons have been here before. They’ve won WAFCON on the road, in tough conditions, against organised opposition. The quality in this squad, even without Oshoala, is formidable. Ajibade leads a forward line with genuine pace and technical quality. The midfield, anchored by the returning Okobi-Okeoghene, has European experience throughout. Nnadozie in goal is one of the best on the continent.
The concern isn’t quality. It’s cohesion. Madugu needs these two games against Cameroon to lock in his starting XI, pressing shape, and set-piece routines. If that clicks in Yaoundé, Nigeria will arrive in Morocco as genuine favourites. If it doesn’t, the title defence could wobble against a tough Group C.
What’s Next: The Road to Morocco
After the two Cameroon friendlies, the Super Falcons’ attention shifts entirely to Morocco. Nigeria open their WAFCON title defence on 18 March against Malawi in Casablanca, before facing stiffer tests against Zambia and Egypt. The top two in the group advance to the knockout rounds.
For a side that has won WAFCON a record number of times, failure is simply not in the script. But the road to another title demands that everything clicks quickly. The next three days in Yaoundé are not a formality. They’re the foundation.
📌 Did You Know?
- Nigeria has won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations a record 11 times, more than any other nation on the continent. Their last title came in 2022, making 2026 a back-to-back attempt.
- Chiamaka Nnadozie kept a clean sheet in the 2022 WAFCON final shootout against South Africa, where her decisive save secured Nigeria the title. She has since established herself as one of Africa’s best goalkeepers.
- Head coach Justine Madugu was appointed to lead the Super Falcons on a full-time basis in 2025, following a caretaker stint. He’s the first Nigerian coach to lead the side into a WAFCON tournament in several years.
- Rasheedat Ajibade, who captains the squad in Yaoundé, plays her club football in Spain with Atlético de Madrid and is widely regarded as one of the top women’s footballers on the African continent right now.
- Debutants Malawi, Nigeria’s first opponents in WAFCON 2026, are the only side in Group C with no previous Women’s AFCON appearances, making them one of the most inexperienced sides in the tournament’s history.
- The Military Stadium in Yaoundé has hosted several high-profile women’s international matches in recent years and has a capacity of around 20,000, creating a genuine competitive atmosphere for friendlies.
- Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene, who returns to the squad for these friendlies, is based in Canada and was notably absent from recent Super Falcons call-ups. Her return signals a shift in Madugu’s selection philosophy ahead of the tournament.
