"Every country wants to beat Nigeria." Assistant coach Ann Chiejine said it plainly, and she's right — that's what happens when you've won 10 of the 13 Women's Africa Cup of Nations titles ever contested. The Super Falcons return to Morocco not just as defending champions, but as the permanent target on African women's football's wall.
Head coach Justin Madugu knows exactly what's coming. "Now that we are champions, every other team will want to draw you down," he said. "It's not going to be easy. We are quite aware of that." Awareness helps. But awareness alone didn't win last year's final 3-2 against the hosts — preparation did, and Nigeria have had more of it this time around. A double-header against Cameroon, two warm-up matches against Senegal, and a win over Tanzania last week means Madugu arrived in Morocco having actually seen his squad play, not just hoping it would click.
A World Cup place raises the stakes
This isn't just a continental title defence. Wafcon 2025 doubles as World Cup qualification, with all four semi-finalists securing a place at next year's tournament in Brazil. Nigeria have appeared at every Women's World Cup since the first edition in 1991 — nine consecutive tournaments. That streak is worth protecting almost as much as the trophy itself.
Winger Francisca Ordega put the priorities plainly: "Our first target is to qualify for the World Cup. After that we can think of defending our title." Smart framing. Reaching the semi-finals means the job is essentially done on one front, which also means the knockout path itself carries serious betting implications — any team that can keep Nigeria out of the last four is carrying enormous consequence with them.
The squad itself is built on recognisable quality. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade won best player last year. Chiamaka Nnadozie is the current African goalkeeper of the year. Asisat Oshoala has been named African player of the year six times and is now chasing a fifth Wafcon medal. The experience is real, not ceremonial.
The group isn't as soft as it looks
Nigeria open Group C against debutants Malawi on Tuesday, then face Zambia and Egypt. On paper, comfortable enough. In practice, less so.
Malawi sit 153rd in the world rankings against Nigeria's 36th, but the Chawinga sisters make them dangerous in a way raw numbers don't capture. Tabitha scored the goals that fired Lyon to a fifth straight French league title last season. Temwa has won the NWSL golden boot and MVP in both of her full seasons with Kansas City Current. That's not a group-stage footnote — that's a genuine attacking threat that could trouble any defence in the tournament.
Zambia bring Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, both operating at the top level in the USA. Madugu acknowledged the risk directly: "You don't want to undermine or underestimate what anybody can do."
Nigeria also go in without centre-back Ashleigh Plumptre, who was central to last year's run and is now sidelined with a foot injury. That's a real gap at the back. The squad has also been unsettled after a reported theft following their arrival in Morocco, with forward Esther Okoronkwo — player of the match in last year's final — said to be among those affected. Not ideal preparation.
The blend of experience and emerging talent is genuine though. Twenty-one-year-old goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor, born in the Netherlands and raised in England, made her debut against Cameroon and currently plays third-tier football in England for Portsmouth. Sweden-based striker Joy Omewa watched last year's Wafcon from afar and is now training alongside the players she was watching on a screen. "Without them we wouldn't be here today," she said of the senior figures around her. "We learn from those people."
The prize money has doubled too — winners take home $2m this time. That's not the primary motivation for anyone in this squad, but it reflects where the competition stands. Bigger tournament, more at stake, more teams capable of causing damage. Nigeria remain the team to beat. The question is whether being the team to beat, for the eleventh time, has finally started to weigh on them.
