With a quarterfinal spot already secured, the Super Falcons will aim to wrap up the group stage in style when they take on Algeria at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca on Sunday.
Nigeria sits atop Group B with six points and a perfect record, having dispatched Tunisia and Botswana without conceding a goal. Justin Madugu’s side needs just a draw to confirm top spot, but a win would underline their dominance.
For Algeria, after earning four points from their first two games, they must avoid defeat to stand a realistic chance of progressing.
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
Head coach Justin Madugu has enjoyed a strong start to his tenure, leading Nigeria to a 3–0 win over Tunisia and a 1–0 victory against Botswana. His tactical decisions and effective substitutions have delivered early results.
So far, the Falcons have been rock-solid defensively and purposeful in attack, with three different scorers and no goals conceded.
HISTORY FAVOURS NIGERIA
Nigeria and Algeria have met twice at WAFCON, both ending in emphatic victories for the Falcons — 4–0 in 2004 and 6–0 in 2006, with Nigeria going on to win the title each time. More recently, the sides faced off in two friendlies in October 2024. Rasheedat Ajibade netted a brace in a 2–0 win, while Folashade Ijamilusi stole the show in the second game with a hat-trick in a 4–1 triumph.
Historically, Nigeria has won the final group match in every WAFCON edition, scoring three or more goals in nine of the 12 tournaments. They’ve also kept clean sheets in their last four group matches.
A win over Algeria would give Nigeria three wins from three in the group stage for the sixth time (after 1998, 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2014). Another clean sheet would mark their best defensive group-stage performance since 1998, when they didn’t concede a single goal.
KNOW THE OPPONENT
Algeria has never progressed beyond the group stage at WAFCON, but they are currently enjoying their best-ever run in the tournament. A 1–0 win over Botswana followed by a goalless draw against Tunisia has left them unbeaten, and impressively, yet to concede a goal.
In their five previous appearances, Algeria had never collected more than three points or finished higher than third in the group. They’ve only beaten West African opposition twice in WAFCON history, Mali in 2004 and Ghana in 2014.
Now on four points, Algeria must avoid defeat to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive, especially with Tunisia facing Botswana in the other Group B fixture.
MATCH DETAILS:
Match: Nigeria vs Algeria
Date: Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 8:00 PM (WAT)
Venue: Stade Larbi Zaouli, Casablanca
WHAT THEY SAY:
Justine Madugu (Nigeria head coach):
“The team is ready and well-prepared for the match against Algeria. The main objective is winning games and achieving complete success.”
Farid Benstiti (Algeria head coach):
“It will be a great game against Nigeria, a very good team, and we will try to give them very good football. It’s very important to grow with this kind of game. We will try to finish the third game with good quality against Nigeria.”
HOW TO WATCH:
Nigeria vs Algeria will be broadcast live on SuperSport for cable viewers in Nigeria. BeIN Sports will provide international streaming access.
FINAL WORD
The Super Falcons are firmly in control of Group B and enter the Algeria clash full of confidence. But they’ll need to stay focused and avoid complacency. For Algeria, it’s a must-not-lose encounter, a historic opportunity to reach the WAFCON quarterfinals for the first time.
