Nigeria head coach Justin Madugu says the Super Falcons are at WAFCON 2026 to retain the title and qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup ahead of their opening match against Malawi, www.aclsports.com reports.
The defending champions and 10-time winners begin their title defence against WAFCON debutants Malawi, with Madugu saying Nigeria has clear targets for the tournament.
“We are here for the defence of the WAFCON trophy, and the team is fully ready and set to go. We have a focus, we have a target, and we know what we really want to achieve. We are here to ensure that we qualify for the World Cup, as well as retain the trophy we won last year,” Madugu said.
Despite Malawi making their debut at the tournament, Madugu says the Super Falcons will approach their opponents with respect and will not underestimate what Malawi can do.
“They are debutants in the WAFCON, but they are a very good side. We’re not taking any team for granted because you need to respect everybody that has qualified for this competition. And everybody is coming here with a purpose, with a mission. And so, you don’t undermine or underestimate what anybody can do,” he said.
“Usually when you prepare for a competition, your ultimate goal is to win. So, you approach every game as it comes, and you try as much as possible to make sure that you win all your games,” Madugu added.
Madugu also welcomed the expansion of the tournament to 16 teams, saying it gives more players across the continent the opportunity to showcase their talents. However, he stressed that more still needs to be done to improve player welfare, coaching capacity and infrastructure across Africa.
For captain Rasheedat Ajibade, the most important measure of a good performance against Malawi is victory.
“A good performance from the Super Falcons will be to win. Three points, and that’s all we think is a good performance for us because that’s all that matters in this tournament. Of course, you want to think about how you play, how you perform, the tactical and all of those brilliances. But if you do all of that and you don’t win, I don’t think that’s going to count for anything in this game, in this tournament,” she said.
Ajibade also praised the progress of women’s football in Malawi, saying their qualification for the WAFCON and the presence of players such as Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga in top-flight leagues showed the growth of the women’s game across the continent.
“It shows the progress they’re making. And it shows the intentionality of their federation or their nation investing in women’s football,” Ajibade said. “And also, some of their players are also playing in top-flight leagues as well. It shows that, yeah, the future of women’s football is really bright with intentional investment and consistency all round.”
The Super Falcons captain also called for the creation of the right environment to increase participation and retention in women’s sport.
“When you create the right environment, it increases participation and it increases retention,” she said, adding that athletes need to feel safe, comfortable and able to express themselves.
The match is scheduled to take place at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday, 28 July, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00 pm WAT.
