The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON 2026, is heading towards the knockout stages with the teams slugging it out for a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons are doomed to face one of their rivals, Cameroon or Ghana, in the quarter-finals.
Despite starting their campaign with a shocking 3-2 loss to Malawi and picking their first win in a nail-biting 1-0 victory over Zambia, the 10-time champions and current holders will face one of their rivals in the quarter-finals.
Final Group Permutation
With the last group game for the Super Falcons against already eliminated and rock-bottom Egypt, the Nigerians only need a win to ensure qualification into the knockout stages and stage a chance of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
While Zambia and Malawi slug it out to find who qualifies or tops the group, Malawi have the advantage to finish group winners with 2 wins already and only need a draw to seal their spot. Zambia, on the other hand, need to win to stand a chance. In a case where all three teams finish with 6 points each, the head-to-head rule will decide; firstly, Nigeria has an advantage over Zambia, after defeating them.
The Knockout Scenario
The knockout opponents for the trio are from Group C, which has Cameroon, Ghana and Mali. The Indomitable Lionesses top the group with 2 wins for them. Ghana and Mali face each other to decide who takes the second spot on the last day.
This makes it inevitable for Nigeria, even if they finish top of their group, not to face an arch-rival after the group stages. A West African derby is on the plate either way.
The Super Falcons round off their WAFCON 2026 group stage fixture with a final game against Egypt. Tosin Demehin and Jennifer Echegini will both miss the final fixture. Tosin received a straight red against Zambia after the referee adjudged to have obstructed Barbra Banda from scoring a goal, while Jennifer received two yellows in consecutive games.
