Less than a day after their shocking 1-0 loss to Cameroon, Nigeria’s Super Falcons were back on the field, determined to turn things around before Tuesday’s return friendly in Yaoundé.
At the Military Stadium on Saturday, Mbomezomo Yvana’s stoppage-time goal put an end to Nigeria’s eight-game winning streak over the Indomitable Lionesses.
Additionally, it was the nine-time African champions’ first defeat by an African team in ninety minutes since their 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) third-place play-off loss to Zambia.
At the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, where the Falcons are preparing a more aggressive reaction in the second leg of the doubleheader, training resumed on Sunday.
In the first meeting, head coach Justine Madugu started a mix of newcomers and well-known players. It’s unclear if he will rearrange his bag on Tuesday.
The Super Falcons are preparing to defend their title at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco. In Group C, they will play debutants Malawi, Zambia, and Egypt.
In Casablanca, the campaign begins on March 18. With all four semi-finalists assured spots at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the stakes are higher than just regional pride.
Madugu has been explicit about his priorities, as evidenced by the 25-man roster he chose for the Cameroon friendly.
At the pre-game press conference on Friday, he stated, “The main goal is to strengthen team unity and evaluate new players who can offer more options prior to the WAFCON.”
“The players’ actions during the game will demonstrate their abilities, team fit, and personal traits. After that, we will figure out how to best use those qualities to the team’s benefit so that we have more options for how we play.
The coach had lowered expectations regarding results even prior to the late setback in Yaoundé.
Naturally, the goal is to win every time we go out to play a game, whether it’s friendly or competitive. The team still has that mentality. But winning isn’t our ultimate goal because our main purpose is to evaluate the players, especially the new ones, and see what they can do to the club,” he stated.
