Defending African champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria, will face Black Queens of Ghana in an international friendly as part of their final preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), www.aclsports.com reports.
The friendly will be played at the Stade El Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca on 18 July, with kick-off scheduled for 4pm.
Nigeria opened camp in Casablanca on Monday as head coach Justin Madugu began the team’s final phase of preparations ahead of the continental showpiece, which gets underway in Morocco on Sunday, 26 July.
Madugu supervised the team’s first training session at the Stade El Arbi Zaouli on Tuesday afternoon after the squad settled into camp. As of Tuesday afternoon, 10 players had arrived at the team’s Marriott Hotel in Casablanca, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran, midfielder Jennifer Echegini, and forward Asisat Oshoala.
Midfielder Toni Payne, who recently joined Inter Milan Women from Everton, is expected to link up with the squad on Wednesday.
Saturday’s encounter will renew one of African women’s football’s fiercest rivalries. Black Queens of Ghana finished runners-up to Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the inaugural Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 1998 before also losing to the Super Falcons in the 2002 and 2006 finals. Nigeria most recently defeated Ghana 3-1 in a pre-WAFCON friendly ahead of the 2024 tournament.
The July 18 fixture will be the Super Falcons’ final test before they begin the defence of their WAFCON title against Malawi on 28 July. They will then face Zambia and Egypt in their remaining Group C fixtures as they aim to reclaim the African crown.
The four semi-finalists at the 2026 WAFCON will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the fifth-placed team will advance to the intercontinental play-off for another opportunity to secure a World Cup place.
