Nigeria’s Super Falcons put a shaky group stage behind them with a 6-2 demolition of Egypt, booking a WAFCON 2026 quarterfinal against Cameroon.
Want our football coverage to show up first?
Add FootballInNigeria as a preferred source and our stories get a "Preferred" badge in your Google Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode results.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for the WAFCON 2026 quarterfinals after a 6-2 thrashing of Egypt in their final Group C fixture, a result that also needed help from elsewhere to matter. Six different Nigerian players got on the scoresheet in a performance that finally looked like the defending champions everyone expected.
Asisat Oshoala opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after a VAR review spotted a handball, before going off injured shortly after and being replaced by Gift Monday. Monday doubled the lead in first half stoppage time, only for Egypt to pull one back through a Nadin Ghazy penalty moments later to make it 2-1 at the break.
The second half turned into a procession. Uchenna Kanu, who had only just come on, tapped in an empty net inside two minutes of the restart, and Christy Ucheibe converted a penalty to make it 4-1 before Ghazy grabbed her second for Egypt. Rasheedat Ajibade added a third Nigerian penalty in the 91st minute, and substitute Joy Omewa completed the rout deep into stoppage time.
That scoreline meant Nigeria finished second in Group C on six points, level with Malawi, who took top spot on goal difference despite losing 2-1 to Zambia in the other simultaneous fixture. It was a nervy way to seal qualification, but a wide margin of victory was exactly what the Super Falcons needed heading into the final round of group games. Fans who want to keep tabs on the tournament as it heads into the knockouts can check Bet9ja’s current promo code before the quarterfinals kick off.
Nigeria will now face Cameroon, who topped Group D, in the quarterfinals on Sunday. It sets up a repeat of one of the most lopsided results in WAFCON final history, and a chance for the Super Falcons to build some knockout stage momentum after a start to the tournament that was anything but smooth.
That rocky opening is worth remembering given how comfortable Wednesday’s win looked. Nigeria lost their tournament opener 3-2 to tournament debutants Malawi, a genuine shock result, before grinding out a 1-0 win over Zambia while playing much of that match with only ten players on the pitch.
Head coach Justin Madugu had been open about the pressure his side was under going into the Egypt game, with qualification for the knockout stage still not guaranteed heading into kickoff. New Bet9ja users following the Super Falcons’ knockout run can also check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code ahead of Sunday’s quarterfinal.
The bigger picture still favours Nigeria heavily. The Super Falcons are defending champions and record 10 time WAFCON winners, having beaten hosts Morocco 3-2 in the 2024 final after coming back from two goals down, and they remain unbeaten across every WAFCON final they have ever reached.
This year’s tournament carries extra weight too, doubling as continental qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which is part of why Wednesday’s result mattered as much for the margin as for the three points.
Rinsola Babajide, who set up two of the six goals against Egypt, was named player of the match for her performance, continuing a strong tournament from a player who has quietly been one of Nigeria’s most consistent performers so far. Fans backing the Super Falcons to go all the way can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code ahead of the Cameroon clash.
For all the drama of the group stage, Nigeria are exactly where they wanted to be, in the last eight and one win away from a semifinal spot, with a familiar route back to the top of African women’s football now open in front of them.
📌 Did You Know?
- Nigeria have won a record 10 WAFCON titles and remain unbeaten in all 10 finals they have reached.
- Nigeria’s biggest ever WAFCON final win was a 5-0 demolition of Cameroon back in 2004, the same side they now face in the quarterfinals.
- Perpetua Nkwocha, who scored four goals in that 2004 final, remains WAFCON’s all-time top scorer.
- WAFCON 2026 doubles as continental qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
- This is Malawi’s first ever WAFCON appearance, and they still finished top of Group C above the defending champions.
- Nigerian players have won the WAFCON Player of the Tournament award four times since it was introduced in 2004, more than any other nation.
- Nigeria’s 2024 title triumph was completed with a comeback from two goals down against Morocco, the biggest deficit ever overturned in a WAFCON final.
