The Super Falcons are not just after a win against Egypt on Wednesday night. They are also looking to secure the top spot in Group C as the race for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals heats up.
Nigeria will be facing an Egyptian team that has already been knocked out in Rabat. Meanwhile, group leaders Malawi will play against Zambia in the other important Group C match.
The final group standings could depend on more than just the winners.
If Zambia beats Malawi and Nigeria wins against Egypt, all three teams will end the group stage with six points each. This means the Confederation of African Football’s tie-break rules will decide who comes out on top and who finishes as runner-up.
This means every goal scored and allowed could be key in figuring out who comes first in the group. The group winner will likely have a better matchup in the quarter-finals.
Finishing first allows the winner to avoid facing another group winner in the last eight. The runner-up, on the other hand, may have a tougher opponent in the knockout stage.
Nigeria started their title defence with a win but faced a setback against Malawi. Now, the nine-time African champions have little room to make mistakes in their last group match.
Even though Egypt cannot make it to the quarter-finals, they could still affect Group C's outcome. They can do this by making it hard for the Super Falcons or by limiting the score.
On the other hand, Zambia knows that beating Malawi could be enough to put them at the top of the table. This depends on what happens in Nigeria’s game against Egypt and the tournament’s tie-break rules.
For coach Justin Madugu’s team, the goal is straightforward: first, beat Egypt, and then hope for a good result from the other match.
Nigeria’s match against Egypt will kick off at 9 p.m. West African time at the Stade Olympique de Rabat.
You can watch the game live on AfroSport, SuperSport, and CAF TV.
The top two teams from each of the three WAFCON groups will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.
Nigeria aims to win their 10th continental title, having entered the tournament as defending champions.
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