Nigeria starts title defence against Malawi in Women's Africa Cup

Ten-time African champions Nigeria kick off their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title defence against first-time participants Malawi at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday. Coach Justin Madugu has made it clear that only a win will satisfy the Super Falcons.

“Usually when you prepare for a competition, and you go for any tournament, your ultimate goal is to win. You approach every game as it comes and try as much as possible to make sure that you win all your games. For every match that we go into, the ultimate goal is to ensure that we win,” Madugu said during the pre-match press conference.

Nigeria comes into the tournament in good form, having won eight of their last nine matches across all competitions.

They finished their preparations with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania, with captain Rasheedat Ajibade scoring first before Esther Okoronkwo netted the winner late in the game.

The Super Falcons are aiming for a record-extending 11th continental title. They defeated hosts Morocco 3-2 in a thrilling final to keep their crown at the last edition.

Malawi, on the other hand, arrives in Morocco after suffering five defeats in their last six matches. This includes a heavy 4-0 loss to Ghana in their last warm-up game.

The Scorchers are making their debut at the tournament and have struggled to score, failing to find the net in four of their last six matches.

However, they did manage a draw against strong Zambia and easily overcame Angola in their final qualifying match for this tournament.

Nigeria is likely to miss defender Ashleigh Plumptre due to injury. The rest of the squad is strong, with Ajibade and Okoronkwo expected to lead the attack. Malawi will look to the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, to threaten Nigeria’s defence.

The Falcons’ preparations have had some distractions. Forward Okoronkwo claimed on social media that $700 was stolen from her wallet at the team's Marriott Hotel base in Casablanca, with several teammates reportedly affected as well.

After sharing her experience about the theft, Okoronkwo faced racial abuse on Instagram, with many users posting monkey emojis and other hurtful comments.

Despite these issues off the field, Nigeria’s focus remains on the tournament. On Sunday, she posted on Instagram to condemn the abuse and emphasized that the team is focused on the competition.

“Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. We move forward with pride, unity and determination. See you on the pitch,” Okoronkwo wrote.

After Tuesday's match, the Super Falcons will also face Zambia and Egypt to finish their Group C matches.