Asisat Oshoala, Shukurat Oladipo, and Kafayat Shittu were among the first players to check into the Super Falcons’ Ikenne base on Monday, as Justine Madugu’s squad begins its final stretch of preparation before WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The Super Falcons have opened camp at the Remo Stars Sports Institute in Ikenne, Ogun State, with six time African Women’s Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala among the early arrivals. Coach Justine Madugu is expecting his full complement of 23 invited players to be present by Tuesday evening, after which the squad will hold its first official training session.
Nigeria face Senegal in the first of two home friendlies on Friday, June 5, at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne-Remo. A second fixture at the same venue is scheduled for Monday, June 8. Both games serve as the Falcons’ final pre-tournament warmup before they travel to Morocco to defend their continental title at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
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A Crucial Double-Header With World Cup Places at Stake
The urgency behind this camp is clear. WAFCON 2026 runs from July 25 to August 16 in Morocco, and Nigeria have had limited preparation time, with their last organised friendly outing coming in March when they split two games against Cameroon in Yaounde, losing the first 1-0 before winning the second 3-1. These Senegal games are the only competitive warmup they get before the tournament itself.
What raises the stakes even higher is that WAFCON 2026 doubles as Africa’s World Cup qualifier. The four semi finalists earn automatic berths to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the fifth placed team advances to an intercontinental playoff. For a squad of this calibre, reaching the semi-finals is the baseline expectation, not an ambition.
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A Star Studded but Battle-Tested Squad
Madugu’s 23 player group is built around the team’s established core. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie anchor the squad, joined by Oshoala, who currently plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Defender Shukurat Oladipo, fresh from a Serie A Women season with AS Roma in which she was named Best Defender in Italy’s top women’s division, is also in the mix.
There are notable recalls too. Belarus based forward Blessing Nkor returns after last featuring in the November 2024 friendly against France. Midfielder Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene is back after reappearing during the Cameroon games following a three year absence. Forwards Francisca Ordega and Gift Monday have also been called up, adding depth to the attacking options.
WAFCON 2024 MVP Esther Okoronkwo and regular defender Ashleigh Plumptre both miss out through injury, while PSG’s Jennifer Echegini and Rasheedat Ajibade bring club pedigree fresh from a Champions League season in France. For fans still figuring out the platform before these games begin, here is a useful guide to the current Bet9ja promotion.
Nigeria’s Group C Challenge
In Morocco, the Super Falcons are drawn in Group C alongside Egypt, Zambia, and debutants Malawi. Senegal, their warmup opponents this week, are in Group A with hosts Morocco, Algeria, and Kenya. That means these friendlies carry a genuine tactical dimension Madugu will want a close look at the Lions of Teranga’s shape and personnel before both sides head into separate groups at the tournament.
Ten continental titles sit behind the Super Falcons. The question is whether Madugu can use these six days in Ikenne to get his squad sharp, cohesive, and ready to add an eleventh.
📌 Did You Know?
- The Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, is the same facility built and developed by Remo Stars FC owner Kunle Soname. It has become one of the most frequently used hosting venues for Super Falcons home games over the past two seasons.
- Shukurat Oladipo, one of the early camp arrivals, was named Best Defender in the Italian Serie A Women at the end of the 2025/26 season with AS Roma, making her one of the most decorated Nigerian players in European women’s football right now.
- Nigeria have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ten times, more than any other country in the tournament’s history. Their closest rivals, Equatorial Guinea, won it three times. The Falcons are chasing an eleventh title in Morocco.
- The 2026 WAFCON was originally scheduled to begin in March before CAF postponed it. The revised dates, July 25 to August 16, placed the tournament at a point when most European leagues are in their pre-season break, which eases player release issues for Nigeria’s foreign-based squad.
- Kafayat Shittu, who was among the early arrivals at camp, plays her club football for Giresun Sanayispor in Turkey’s Women’s First League. She is one of a growing cluster of Nigerian women internationals now competing in Turkish women’s football.
- Chiamaka Nnadozie, Nigeria’s first choice goalkeeper, plays for Brighton and Hove Albion Women in the Women’s Super League, making her a teammate of fellow Super Falcons internationals at club level in England’s top women’s division.
- Nigeria’s last WAFCON title came in 2024, a tournament in which Esther Okoronkwo won the Most Valuable Player award. Okoronkwo’s injury absence from this squad is one of the few gaps Madugu will need to plug before the tournament kicks off in Morocco.
