Nigeria’s Super Falcons are under immense pressure to defeat the Copper Queens when the two sides meet in a crucial 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group C showdown.
The nine-time African champions suffered a shocking 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi in their opening match, leaving them with no margin for error heading into Saturday’s encounter against Zambia.
In contrast, the Copper Queens made a powerful statement by thrashing Egypt 6-0, a result that lifted them to the top of Group C and boosted confidence within the camp.
Although Nigeria comfortably defeated Zambia 5-0 in the quarterfinals of the previous WAFCON edition, Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu insists his team will not rely on history.
“Last year is last year. That is history. We have a new game and another competition. We are looking at what the Zambian team is doing now and their current status,” Madugu told reporters in Rabat.
He acknowledged that Zambia’s emphatic victory over Egypt has given the Copper Queens confidence but stressed that Nigeria remains fully focused on getting the result they need.
“We know what is at stake. It’s an outright win or nothing for us. We’re not taking this game for granted by any means,” he said.
For Zambia, victory would secure qualification to the WAFCON quarterfinals with one group match remaining against Malawi.
For Nigeria, however, another defeat would result in a historic first-ever group-stage exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
With qualification hanging in the balance, Saturday’s clash promises to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament so far.
