The Super Falcons of Nigeria will meet Cameroon again in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. This match will take place in Casablanca on Sunday at 6 p.m. The winner will move on to the semi-finals and secure a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nigeria comes into this match as defending champions and the most successful team in WAFCON history. In contrast, Cameroon has reached this stage without losing any games.
But Cameroon believes they can change the usual outcome in this matchup.
Nigeria’s WAFCON Edge
Nigeria and Cameroon have a long history in WAFCON, and it has not been balanced. They have faced each other 13 times since 1998. Nigeria has won nine times, Cameroon has one victory, and there have been three draws.
The Falcons have scored 33 goals, while Cameroon has netted only six. Nigeria's dominance started in 1998 when they beat Cameroon 6-0 in the semi-finals of the first tournament.
They won 3-0 in the group stage in 2000, drew 2-2 in 2004, and then won the final 5-0. Nigeria repeated the 5-0 score against Cameroon in the 2006 semi-finals and won 5-1 in 2010.
Cameroon’s only win over Nigeria at WAFCON was in the 2012 third-place match, where they won 1-0 after Nigeria had earlier defeated them 2-1 in the group stage. The Falcons also beat Cameroon in the finals of 2014 and 2016, winning 2-0 and 1-0 respectively. They drew 0-0 in the 2018 semi-final but advanced 4-2 on penalties. Most recently, in the 2022 quarter-finals in Casablanca, Rasheedat Ajibade scored the only goal, sending Nigeria into the semi-finals and securing their spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cameroon Comes In Strong
Cameroon has been a strong contender in this tournament. They topped Group D with seven points, winning against Mali 2-1, Ghana 1-0, and drawing 1-1 with Cape Verde.
Marie Gisele Ngah Manga has been key for Cameroon, scoring three of their four goals in the group stage. She had to leave the match against Ghana due to an ankle issue, but she is fit to continue in the tournament.
Cameroon also has confidence from their 1-0 friendly win over Nigeria in Yaounde back in February. Nigeria then won the return match 3-1 just three days later. The Lionesses know what Nigeria is capable of, and they believe they can beat the Falcons again this year.
Eto: We Will Fight
Cameroon midfielder Eto admitted that Nigeria is the stronger team on paper, but she said her team will not feel scared. “Nigeria is a very great nation in African Women’s Football and deserves all our respect. We know we are not the favourites and, in fact, we never really were in this competition. But we also know what we want to achieve,” she told cafonline.com.
Eto stated that Cameroon would stick to their game plan and not change their style just because they are facing Nigeria. “We will not change the way we play. We will continue our work, apply the technical staff’s plan and seek to correct the few shortcomings that we have identified,” she said.
While she recognized Nigeria’s status as favorites, Eto believes the match will be decided on the pitch. “We know there is a favourite, and it’s not us, but in football nothing is a foregone conclusion.”
Nigeria Looking to Bounce Back
Nigeria’s journey to the quarter-finals has been shaky. The defending champions lost 3-2 to Malawi in their first Group C match. They bounced back with a 1-0 win over Zambia and then delivered their best performance so far, beating Egypt 6-2 in their last group match.
Asisat Oshoala has been a key player, scoring against Zambia and converting a penalty against Egypt. The experienced forward also scored twice in friendly matches against Senegal before the tournament.
Coach Justine Madugu will be glad to have back defender Oluwatosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini, who missed the Egypt match due to suspension. Their return gives Nigeria more options as they aim to avoid another loss to Cameroon.
History Favors Nigeria, But It’s Different Now
Nigeria's record against Cameroon at WAFCON shows nine wins from 13 matches, one loss, and three draws. But Sunday’s match will not be decided by history alone.
Cameroon has already shown they can frustrate Nigeria. Their unbeaten run in the group stage has boosted their confidence.
For Nigeria, the goal is clear. “We have to get the World Cup ticket and then go ahead to retain the trophy,” Madugu said. The Falcons need to win to keep both of their ambitions alive.
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