Esther Okoronkwo, who plays for the Super Falcons, says Nigeria is ready to defend their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title. They want to win their 11th crown in Morocco, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The defending champions began their Group C matches against Malawi, who are playing for the first time, at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday. They still have games against Zambia and Egypt coming up.
If the Super Falcons finish on top of Group C and Morocco wins Group A, both teams could face each other in a big semi-final match. This would be a repeat of last year’s final.
Okoronkwo knows the road to the final is tough, but she says the team is focused on winning the trophy again.
“We want to repeat history and win it again. It is always good to win back-to-back titles. There is pressure, but we want to retain the trophy,” Okoronkwo told CAF.
She added, “My role is to help the team, just as I expect the other 10 players on the field to do. Attitude and mentality will play a huge part.
“As long as we all have the right attitude and mentality, we will be fine.”
Nigeria is the most successful team in this competition's history, having won 10 out of the last 13 editions.
The Super Falcons dominated the tournament, winning the first five editions from 1998 to 2006. Equatorial Guinea ended their reign in 2008. Nigeria took back the title in 2010 but lost it to Equatorial Guinea again in 2012. They regained the title with three straight wins in 2014, 2016, and 2018 before South Africa took the title in 2022.
The Falcons got their continental crown back at the 2024 WAFCON, which took place in 2025, beating Morocco in the final to secure their record-extending 10th title.
Okoronkwo was one of Nigeria’s best players during that victory, scoring two goals and making six assists, the most in the tournament.
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