The Super Falcons have commenced preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with captain Rasheedat Ajibade, veteran forward Asisat Oshoala and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie among the first players to arrive at the team’s camp in Casablanca, Morocco.
The defending champions officially opened their training camp on Monday as head coach Justine Madugu began assembling his squad ahead of the continental tournament scheduled to run from 26 July to 16 August 2026.
Alongside Ajibade, Oshoala and Nnadozie, other early arrivals include defenders Glory Ogbonna, Oluwatosin Demehin, Rofiat Imuran and Shukurat Oladipo, midfielder Christy Ucheibe and goalkeeper Fatima Oloko.
The early arrivals provide Madugu with a strong foundation as the technical crew prepares for Nigeria’s title defence. Sixteen more players are expected to join the camp in the coming days as the coach works towards having his full squad available before the tournament begins.
The Super Falcons will later move their base to Rabat, where they will begin their Group C campaign against Malawi’s Scorchers at the Al Madina Stadium on Tuesday, 28 July.
Nigeria have been drawn in a challenging Group C alongside Zambia’s Copper Queens, Malawi and Egypt as they seek to retain the WAFCON crown they won at the previous edition.
Meanwhile, one of Nigeria’s major group opponents, Zambia, have intensified preparations ahead of the tournament, with the Copper Queens scheduled to travel to Algeria on Monday for their final phase of training.
Zambia have spent the past two weeks in a local camp in Lusaka, where assistant coach Charles Haalubono has overseen preparations before head coach Nora Elizabeth Häuptle joins the squad in Algeria.
The Copper Queens are set to play two friendly matches against Algeria as part of their final build-up before travelling to Morocco for the competition on a chartered flight.
Zambia’s preparations are being closely monitored as they aim to challenge Nigeria’s dominance in Group C. The Copper Queens have emerged as one of Africa’s strongest women’s football teams in recent years and will be hoping to make a strong statement at the tournament.
With Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi and Egypt all placed in the same group, Group C is expected to be one of the most competitive sections of the 2026 WAFCON, with the Super Falcons facing an early test in their quest for another continental triumph.
