Nigeria aims for WAFCON quarter-finals against Egypt

Nigeria, a ten-time champion, is looking to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They will face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday in Rabat, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

The Super Falcons had a rough start, losing 3-2 to Malawi in their first match. They bounced back with a strong 1-0 win over Zambia, keeping their hopes alive.

A win against Egypt will bring Nigeria's points to six. Their chance to reach the last eight will depend on the outcome of the other match between Malawi and Zambia.

Egypt has struggled, losing 6-0 to Zambia in their first game and then falling 3-1 to Malawi. The Falcons know they cannot underestimate the Egyptian team.

Coach Justine Madugu faces a challenge as he looks for replacements for defender Tosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini. Both players are out due to disciplinary reasons.

Demehin was sent off in the match against Zambia for stopping Barbra Banda from scoring. Echegini received two yellow cards in the games against Malawi and Zambia.

Madugu adjusted his starting line-up against Zambia, and he will need to make more changes. Christy Ucheibe, who filled in well at centre-back after Demehin's red card, is expected to start with Osinachi Ohale. Toni Payne is likely to join captain Rasheedat Ajibade and possibly Halimatu Ayinde in the midfield.

Ajibade scored a penalty, and Uchenna Kanu found the net in added time against Malawi. Coach Madugu might pair Kanu with Oshoala, who scored the winning goal against Zambia.

Currently, Malawi leads the group with six points, while Nigeria and Zambia each have three points. If Zambia beats Malawi and Nigeria wins against Egypt, all three teams will end up with six points.

In that case, the Confederation of African Football will use its rules to figure out which two teams move on to the quarter-finals. The situation could rely on head-to-head results, goal difference, and other tiebreaking rules if the teams finish with the same points.