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Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu has described Nigeria’s quarter-final clash with Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as a meeting of two familiar rivals and has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to defeat Cameroon.
Nigeria will face Cameroon on Sunday, August 9, in one of the tournament’s quarter-final fixtures in Morocco.
Speaking ahead of the match, Madugu said the Super Falcons are determined to impose their style and reach the semi-finals.
The coach said the long history between the two sides makes their encounters particularly competitive, with both teams aware of the significance of the fixture.
“Nigeria, Cameroon have come a long way. We all know each other, we know them, they know us and games between such countries always bring out the best in everybody,” he said.
“We know what it means, we know it will be a good game. We have our style, they have their style. We will do our best to ensure that we impose ourselves and make sure that we carry the day.”
The coach also paid tribute to Cameroon, describing the Indomitable Lionesses as a team that has contributed significantly to the development of women’s football on the continent.
“We have come a long way like I said with Cameroon and we have huge respect for them because they have also done so much for African football,” Madugu said.
“We have huge respect for them and we’re not taking that for granted.”
Madugu Dismisses Past Friendly Results
Nigeria and Cameroon met twice in preparatory matches before the tournament, but Madugu said those results would not influence his assessment of the quarter-final.
The coach argued that the previous encounters were preparation games and featured different circumstances and personnel.
“The last two games we played against Cameroon, looking at the current team, we are not carried away by the result or the performance of those two games because they were more or less preparatory games leading to the World Cup,” he said.
“And because they were preparatory games, a lot of things went into that game or those games and we’re not using that to assess the team currently here.”
According to Madugu, personnel changes in both squads also mean the earlier matches offer limited guidance for Sunday’s contest.
“We know there were players that were not involved in those games that are here in both teams,” he said.
“So the approach, the attitude and whatever could still be the same, but we know different qualities of players come into games with different things that are different.”
He said the Super Falcons would therefore approach Cameroon with respect but remain focused on their own objectives.
“We are not taking it for granted. Like I said, we have huge respect for them, but we know what we want and we know what we are going out for,” Madugu said.
Madugu Keeps Lineup Under Wraps
The coach also declined to confirm his starting lineup, saying the technical team was still working through some tactical and selection decisions.
“We have not concluded on what we will be doing tomorrow, it’s still a work in progress,” he said.
“We still have some issues to sort out and we’re still doing our work.”
“I will not be able to tell you precisely now whether Aziza Doshala will be in the team or not.”
However, he said the squad was in good spirits ahead of the crucial encounter.
“But all the girls are ready, they are all in high spirits. We just need to sort out the details and then you will see a very good team that is prepared, ready to go tomorrow,” he said.
The 2026 WAFCON, being staged in Morocco from July 26 to August 16, is the first edition to feature 16 teams, up from 12 previously.
The teams were divided into four groups of four, with the top two sides in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria entered the tournament as defending champions and record 10-time winners. The Super Falcons were drawn in Group C with Zambia, Egypt and WAFCON debutants Malawi.
Their group campaign began with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi before Nigeria recovered with a victory over Zambia and then beat Egypt 6-2 in their final group game.
They finished second in Group C behind Malawi, with all three sides ending the group stage on six points.
Cameroon, meanwhile, topped Group D ahead of Ghana, Mali and debutants Cape Verde.
The quarter-final has added significance beyond the continental title.
The four teams that reach the semi-finals will secure direct qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the quarter-final losers will retain a route to the World Cup through a play-off pathway.
Nigeria have also historically dominated the competition, winning 10 of its previous editions, including the most recent tournament in 2024. Cameroon remain one of Africa’s established women’s football powers and were beaten by Nigeria in the 2022 WAFCON quarter-final.
With a semi-final place and a World Cup ticket at stake, Madugu’s message was clear: respect Cameroon, but do not be intimidated by them.
“We are not carried away by the result or the performance of those two games because they were more or less preparatory games.”
Super Falcons Coach Justine Madugu says Nigeria will judge the Cameroon match on the current teams rather than their previous two meetings, which were… pic.twitter.com/nFtp0SoDo9
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) August 8, 2026
